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From the publisher: A lot of people would like to declare that print is dead, but we're betting against the odds to tell this story the only way we see fit. At Collide we are banking on passion. We love music, we love travel, and we firmly believe that the two have become linked in ways never before possible. Flights are available to every corner of the earth, hotels that cater to a new generation are popping up all over, and music scenes have taken over places that just 10 years ago were struggling with electricity.
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We celebrate those artists blazing the trail. They are the ones who live on the long and dusty road. Sleeping in cars, diving head first into local customs and cuisine, and inspiring us to join them whenever we get the opportunity. To that end we have turned this publication over to them. We asked them to share their most fulfilling experiences in their hometowns and on the road, from the minute they wake up to when they crash for the night. Only to do it all over again the next day. We’ve created a travel guide like no other, overflowing with their favorite restaurants,
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drinking dens and dives (the real Manchester speakeasies!), late night haunts, keep it real travel tips (skip Gangnam in Seoul, Korea, really), and especially where they get their shawarma fix. This issue is dedicated to them. The musicians from around the world who dedicate their lives to their art no matter where the journey takes them. We hope you find as much inspiration as we did in every last page.
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Happy Travels, Alan Miller
top 5 shawarma according to alan miller (in order) 5
oslo, norway; reykjavik, iceland; zagreb, croatia; hamburg, germany; cologne, germany
S A N
F R A N C I S C O
A R K I V 速
M O D U L A R
L O S
F I E L D P A C K S A N D A C C E S S O R I E S // M A D E A D I V I S I O N O F M I S S I O N W O R K S H O P //
I N T H E U S A W I T H A L I F E T I M E M I S S I O N W O R K S H O P . C O M
A N G E L E S
W A R R A N T Y
PUBLISHER Alan Miller Editor-in-Chief Stephanie Almazan Senior Editor Rachael Roth Editorial Assistant Jasmyn Crawford Interns Emma Hart, Nikki Kingman, Gigie Hall, Hannah Harlacher ART & DESIGN Art Director Melissa Simonian SENIOR DESIGNER Natalie Kechian
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Piper Ferguson (photographer); Heather Cvar (grooming) / Twin Shadow Cover; Shaun Regan / Fat White Family and Black Lips; Amber Renee / Zola Jesus; Phoebe Bulkeley Harris / Festival Calendar; Sadie Dupuis / Boston Illustrations ARTIST FEATURES Stephanie Almazan, Rachael Roth, Lauren Lumsden TRAVEL FEATURES Sabine Brice, Ethan Alley, Wes Martin CONTRIBUTORS Kortland Chase, David Iskra, Michael Hetzler, Michelle Almazan, Chris Phelps COLLiDE AGENCY Connie Tsang, Monique Gilbert, Courtney Phillips, Jeff Wolfe, Wes Martin, Courtney Chauvenne, Tristen Gacoscos, Kelsie Janssen ADVERTISING Jeff Wolfe Wolfe@WeAreCOLLiDE.com 707.486.3644 COLLiDE LOS ANGELES OFFICE: 323.592.3615 COLLiDE san francisco office: 707.486.3644 COLLiDE NEW YORK OFFICE: 646.202.6183 COLLiDE CHICAGO OFFICE: 773.294.0052
THANK YOU Quebec Tourism, Reykjavik Tourism, Ross Belfer, Jeremy Hulsh, publicists, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Goteborg & Co., Korea Tourism Organization, Different Fur/Patrick Brown, The Wolfes, Caleb Morairty, The Martins, Scotty, Elle Steier, Janelle Albert, photographers, The Tsang Family, M for Montreal Crew, Glenn Dickie + Sounds Australia, Tim Hrycyshyn, Samuel Spoehr + the crew at Bludso's, Marla McNally & Lee Phillips, All the nice music agents (not the mean ones), Heather Cvar, Arnold the office dog, The Chauvenne Family, Rachel Wesissman, Susana Loy Rodriguez, Asher Miller, Autumn Miller, Rich Honiball, Christian Parkes, Sox, Tuti, Manny Machado, Chris Tillman, Phillip Rivers, Kris Galkowski, Nancy Slavin, David Harwitt, Matt Watts, James Buell, Jonathan Sasse, The Simonian Family, The Steiners + Mowgli, Claudine Jaenichen, RUBEN TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE is published by Collide Acency LLC, 5514 Wilshire Blvd, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2015. TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE is not responsible for anything, including the return or loss of submissions, or for any damage or other injury to unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Any submission of a manuscript or artwork should include a selfaddressed envelope or package of appropriate size, bearing adequate return postage. Š2015 COLLIDE AGENCY, LLC. all rights reserved TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE is printed in the usa CULTURECOLLIDE.COM
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CITY GUIDES
Your comprehensive guide to eight vibrant cities from today’s most influential bands.
Manhattan Bridge / DeAnna Janes
8 From the Publisher
HAWAII COVER: 50 Twin Shadow Vs. the Island 60 Shoreline Waikiki 61 Turtle Bay Resort 62 Hungry Ear Records 63 Hawaii Food & Wine Fest 64 Natural Selection: Artist Betty Martin
24 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA The Raveonettes OK Go Warpaint Man Man Fitz and the Tantrums Bleached Chain Gang of 1974 Deap Vally Hanni El Khatib Until the Ribbon Breaks
CARRY ON
What to pack, read, and listen to on the road or in the air.
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116 Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa Shares 5 Current Obsessions 117 Best Books to Travel with: Meredith Graves of Perfect Pussy
Playlists 118 Unearthly Travels with Body/Head 118 Coast to Coast Tunes with Heidi Bivens 119 Melodies on Repeat with Purity Ring
FEATURES 107 Man Man Honus Honus is dead...again. ATLANTA, GEORGIA 66 Today, Atlanta. Tomorrow, the World. The Black Lips Tame the Travel Beast BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 126 Speedy Ortiz Illustrated Guide to Boston Frontwoman Sadie Dupuis divulges the city’s best-kept secrets. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 76 The Girl Anachronism Zola Jesus in modern times. 79 Sasquatch Festival
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Intelligentsia / Julie Leopo
FOOD & DRINK
TRAVEL GUIDES
Our travel experts check these cities off their bucket list and report back.
92 Reykjavik, Iceland Dreamland 88 Everything is Rad in Calgary 95 Keep it Israel 102 Tel Aviv Hotels 104 Hummus Our favorite Israeli acts spill the garbanzo beans on their favorite Hummus spots.
TOUR DIARIES 38 Painted Palms Do Japan 43 Fat White Family in America
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 84 Angel Olsen Back in St. Louis The dulcet singer/songwriter takes us on a trip down memory lane. LouFest
115 Royal Flushes 127 Tour Riders Revealed Neko Case, Allen Stone, and David Mayfield Parade have needs — very specific needs.
26 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND James PINS Black Rivers Dutch Uncles
28 PORTLAND, OREGON The Decemberists Blouse Priory Pink Feathers Mimicking Birds
120 Spring Beer Picks Cheers to these springtime brews. 122 Barbecue Nation The best BBQ across the US according to Yelp.
AUSTIN, TEXAS 80 The Perfect Austin Day Black Angels Guide to the live music mecca. Waterloo Records Hotel St. Cecilia
MONTREAL, QUEBEC 86 Bienvenue a Montreal Chromeo takes us for a ride.
22 NEW YORK, NEW YORK A Place to Bury Strangers Albert Hammond, Jr. Beverly Blonde Redhead Caveman Deerhoof MisterWives Public Access TV Splashh
30 SEOUL, KOREA From the Airport Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio Big Phony Love X Stereo 32 GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN José González Little Dragon Laleh El Perro Del Mar JJ
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34 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Mike Kinsella (American Football) Disappears The Life and Times Twin Peaks Meat Wave Bailiff Ryley Walker Springtime Carnivore Lili K
EXTRAS
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74 FESTIVAL CHECKLIST Break out the camping gear.
COVER ILLUSTRATION BY MUTI Golden Gate Bridge / David Iskra
36 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Geographer Sonny and the Sunsets GRMLN Painted Palms Andrew St. James James Vernon Vetiver Giraffage Hidden in the Sun Erase Errata
Holiday Inn Express / Blouse
Gothenburg Harbour / Göran Assner/imagebank.sweden.se
Photos: Jasmine Safaeian
NINA PERSSON/CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
T: 12
14 . collIDE
S: 11.5
B: 12.5
culture collide 2014 festival los angeles/SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK
The Chuck Taylor All Star
Made by Bess
Made by you
T: 12
MEAT PIES COURTESY OF THE BRONZED AUSSIE 16 . collIDE
S: 11.5
B: 12.5
culture collide 2014 festival los angeles/SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK
The Chuck Taylor All Star
Made by Shantell Martin
Made by you
18 . collIDE
CULTURECOLLIDE.COM
T: 12
SAN FRANCISCO OCTOBER 1 & 2 LOS ANGELES OCTOBER 8, 9, 10
S: 11.5
B: 12.5
2015 FESTIVALS
The Chuck Taylor All Star
Made by King Tuff
Made by you
CITY guide
NEW YORK
THE PERFECT NY DAY
NEW YORK
New York is for hustlers, dreamers, artists, and believers. Whether you’ve spent a day or a lifetime in the city that never sleeps, one thing’s for sure, New York City leaves a lasting impression. A Place to Bury Strangers sums up why we love this city so much: It’s “creative and people get shit done!”
A Place to Bury Strangers The loudest, hardest working (noise) rock band in New York. Lead singer Oliver Ackermann also runs Brooklyn effects pedal company Death by Audio. They rule. Transfixiation is out now.
Albert Hammond, Jr. The solo artist is best known for making up one-fifth of The Strokes. Look out for new music later this year. See him solo and with The Strokes at Primavera Sound.
Blonde Redhead The iconic trio have staying power, having released their ninth album Barragán in 2014 to eager ears. Whether they are dabbling in synth, shoegaze, art rock, or minimalist compositions, it is Kazu Makino’s whispered seductions that keep us spellbound.
Beverly Dream pop meets fuzzed out guitar arrangements with a bombshell of a frontwoman in honey haired Drew Citron. Debut LP Careers arrived in 2014.
Caveman This collective sort of rose out of the ashes — four out of five members had just broken up with their previous bands before forming the new synth rock outfit. We can’t wait for their upcoming third album so we can hear more of those ‘60s dream-pop vibes.
Deerhoof The deceptively adorable noise band has been making music for two decades. Fronted by Satomi Matsuzaki whose melodic howling alone embodies the Deerhoof brand, the band continues to keep it interesting even on their 12th and most recent album La Isla Bonita.
Dion Lunadon of APTBS: Get up at 12 p.m. Eat. Make music. Eat. Make more music. Party. Sleep. Repeat. Maybe go to Nitehawk [Cinema] on a date or a restaurant. So many great restaurants here! Diner and Marlow and Sons on Broadway and Berry are my two favorite restaurants in the city. Nitehawk: 136 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn; Diner: 85 Broadway, Brooklyn; Marlow and Sons: 81 Broadway, Brooklyn.
Drew Citron of Beverly: A bike ride to the beach, tacos, old friends, ocean dip, ride home in a car with the bike somehow, fancy dinner, see a show. You can tell I’m dreaming of summer.
Webster Hall
LIVE MUSIC VENUE
FAVORITE LANDMARK
Baby’s All Right: 146 Broadway, Brooklyn; Bowery Ballroom: 6 Delancey Street, NYC; Webster Hall: 125 East 11th Street, NYC; Mercury Lounge: 217 East Houston Street, NYC; Arlene’s Grocery: 95 Stanton Street, NYC
Domino Sugar Factory: 316 Kent Avenue at South 1st Street, Brooklyn; The Woolworth Building: 233 Broadway, NYC; The Museum Of Natural History: Central Park W & 79th St, NYC; Grand Central Station: 89 East 42nd Street, NYC; St. Marks Church: 131 East 10th Street, NYC; Central Park: 59th Street to 110th Street between Central Park West and 5th Ave, NYC
APTBS: Death By Audio [Lead singer Oliver Ackermann’s pedal effects company of the same name is still around, but the associated venue closed late last year]. Unfortunately it has closed. The only venue I knew where shows were curated with such love – Never about the money and always about the quality music. Some of my favorite shows I’ve seen at DBA were Yonatan Gat, Hysterics, Knyfe Hyts, Natural Child, and The Immaculates. Beverly: Baby’s All Right [bangin’ brunch spot and music venue]. Blonde Redhead: Bowery Ballroom is a good place. Caveman (Matthew Iwanusa): Bowery Ballroom and Webster Hall have always been my favorites. Deerhoof: Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. MisterWives (Mandy Lee): Bowery Ballroom is awesome, and so is Webster Hall. On a small scale Mercury Lounge is pretty awesome; we’ve played so many shows there. And Arlene’s Grocery. I’ve gone there since I was 15 and had “X”s on my hands while playing shows. Public Access TV: Baby’s All Right is my favorite new venue. Splashh: Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn.
APTBS: Domino Sugar factory. When I first moved here I lived right across the street. Then when I joined APTBS I found my way back there as our studio and Death By Audio were also right across the street. Beverly: The Woolworth Building [The tallest building in the world from 1913-1930; known for its ornamental Gothic-style architecture and ornate lobby]. Caveman: The Museum Of Natural History Deerhoof: Grand Central Station. The ceiling is pretty. The oyster bar’s old waiters are grumpy and funny. Public Access TV: I like the St. Marks Church a lot. You can hang out on the front lawn or in the back garden. It’s really nice and sometimes they have concerts and events. Splashh: You can’t really beat Central Park on a sunny, or even a winter’s day. It’s a pretty magical place.
MisterWives The New York-based darlings released their debut LP Our Own House on February 24. They may be new to the scene but their syrupy alt-pop will find its way in and stick to your brain.
Public Access TV The enigmatic four-piece are New York’s answer to Britpop. Very much engrained in the city’s local music scene, their two EP’s, In the Mirror and Rebounder were both released as vinyl 7”s.
Splashh Hypnotic lo-fi rockers Splashh wear their emotions on their sleeves; achyheart lyrics buried in wall of sound production let the East London to NYC transplants bring back the ‘90s in the best way.
Ace Hotel / courtesy of Ace Hotel
BEST COFFEE
APTBS: Anything will do. Cafe Colette, Five Leaves, Blue Bottle, Brooklyn Roasting Company, or Gimme Coffee. I drink a lot of coffee so I tend to make it myself. Cone filtered. Beverly: Cafetería La Mejor iced cafe con leche. Public Access TV: Sam’s Deli! Shout out to my man Vic! Splashh: El Rey, East Village Cafe Colette: 79 Berry Street, Brooklyn; Five Leaves: 18 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn; Blue Bottle, Brooklyn Roasting Company, Gimme Coffee: multiple locations Cafeteria El Mejor: 191 Suydam Street, Brooklyn; Sam’s Deli: 123 2nd Avenue (multiple locations); El Rey: 100 Stanton Street
Central Park / DeAnna Janes
Narnia / courtesy of Narnia
FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD APTBS at Brooklyn Roasting Co. / Shaun Regan
A Place to Bury Strangers / Shaun Regan; Albert Hammond, Jr. / Jason McDonald; Beverly / courtesy of artist; Blonde Redhead / Marlene Marino; Caveman / Kate Edwards; Deerhoof / Chad Kamenshine; Misterwives / courtesy of artist; Public Access TV / Nick Sethi; Splashh / courtesy of artist
UNDISCOVERED GEM
DIVE BAR
Beverly: Lucy’s Caveman: The Library Bar Deerhoof: Manhattan Inn, Greenpoint. Free live music almost everyday. Public Acces TV: Grassroots on St. Marks Place. They have free popcorn and darts. Splashh: Forgetmenot in Chinatown is a good vibe. As a plus it also shows premier league football on a Saturday and has some great booze and food. Lucy’s: 135 Avenue A, NYC; The Library Bar: 811 7th Avenue, NYC; Manhattan Inn: 632 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn; Grassroots Tavern: 20 Saint Marks Place, NYC; Forgetmenot: 138 Division Street, NYC
HAPPY HOUR Beverly: La Superior Blonde Redhead: Mud on East 9th. My best friend works there. Also St Mazie on Grand Street. Caveman: Black and White on 10th Street Misterwives: McSwiggan’s. It’s just a dive bar that me and all the guys go to all the time. We know all the bartenders. An Beal Bocht in Riverdale is amazing. It’s also an oldschool Irish pub, and they have an open mic with amazing musicians who come and play. They don’t have TVs; you’re just there to drink and socialize and have a good time. Splashh: The Fanelli Cafe in Soho does a great happy hour. La Superior: 295 Berry Street, Brooklyn; Mud: 307 East 9th Street, NYC; St. Mazie: 345 Grand Street, Brooklyn; Black and White: 86 East 10th Street, NYC; An Beal Bocht: 445 West 238th Street, Bronx; Fanelli Cafe: 94 Prince Street, NYC
Beverly: The Thing in Greenpoint (my friend Larry’s junk shop) which is the sister to the now defunct Vortex on Montrose. I used to DJ a lot and digging in an endless sea of crates is a great way to learn about garage one-hit-wonders, Motown B-sides, the labels themselves; very important history, and incredibly inspiring when you’re making your own music. Blonde Redhead: The beach at Fort Tilden but it has been discovered. Caveman: Maybe the free Ikea ferry on weekends. Public Access TV: The Original Sandwich Shoppe of New York in the West Village Splashh: If we’re talking cheap eats, we’ve come across some really delicious handmade dumplings at Lam Zhou in Chinatown. The Thing: 1001 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn; Beach at Fort Tilden: 169 State Road, Breezy Point; The Original Sandwich Shoppe: 58 Greenwich Avenue, NYC; Lam Zhou: 144 East Broadway, NYC
SHOPPING
Beverly: Fox & Fawn. Mary Meyer [trendy vintage boutiques in Brooklyn]. Blonde Redhead: Some favorites of the band are Rachel Comey, Jane Mayle, Isabel Marant Caveman: By Robert James Deerhoof: Narnia Vintage Clothing Shops in Manhattan and Williamsburg. MisterWives: I love Buffalo Exchange. You always find really unique, crazy, wacky things. Public Access TV: Starstruck in the West Village always has good stuff for cheap. Really good plain t-shirts. Splashh: Procell on Delancy Street sells a lot of awesome rare vintage band tees and branded stuff. Levi’s and Vans. Fox & Fawn: 570 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn; Mary Meyer: 56 Bogart Street, Brooklyn; Rachel Comey: 95 Crosby Street, NYC; Isabel Marant: 469 Broome Street, NYC; By Robert James: 74 Orchard Street, NYC; Narnia Vintage Clothing Shops: 161 Rivington Street #1, NYC Buffalo Exchange: Numerous Locations; Starstruck: 47 Greenwich Avenue, NYC; Procell: 5 Delancey Street, NYC
APTBS: Mine (Williamsburg). Because I live here. There are definitely things that have changed in this neighborhood — not in a good way, but that’s the way it goes. I get sick of people complaining about it. Spoiled brats! People like us have gentrified the place and now we have been gentrified by big business. Another great thing about NY is the fact that there are so many diverse neighborhoods I like a bunch for different reasons. The East Village, Bushwick, and the infamous Williamsburg are probably where I spend the most time. Beverly: It’s still Alphabet City. I used to live there, and even though weekends are the absolute worst, it still has all the ghosts, beautiful buildings, and a few freaks and losers. Blonde Redhead: Greenpoint in Brooklyn. It stills feels like an escape. Caveman: Lower East Side. Maybe it’s changed but that’s where I’ve been hanging forever. Still some gems down there. Deerhoof: Flushing, Queens, where all the good inexpensive Asian restaurants are (except Japanese cuisine). MisterWives: I love Astoria. I grew up there my whole life, and I have to say it’s a family neighborhood, but there’s also so much for young people, in the arts world, in food, and all of the things I love most. Public Access TV: The West Village because it inspires me to get filthy rich and buy a brownstone. Splashh: East Village. Mainly because it’s where we tend to go out; it has lots of great spots to eat and drink.
Albert Hammond, Jr.’s Big Apple
Best Bagel Shop: Black Seed (170 Elizabeth St.) or Russ and Daughters (179 E. Houston St.). Amazing bagels and lox. Can’t go wrong. Best corner for busking: I haven’t hustled since my teens Best subway story: The subway is a continuous story of characters, and let’s not forget a great way to get around the city. Why listen to someone else’s bullshit when you can live your own. Get the fuck on the train. Best slice of pizza: Why have a slice when you can have the best pie at Motorino’s (349 E. 12th St.) or Lil Frankie’s (19 1st Ave.)? Best place to reconnect with nature: Any park, but Central and Tompkins Square have been my go-tos. Best barber shop: Freemans (8 Rivington St.). Ask for Jason Necker!
CULTURE COLLIDE . 23
CITY guide
LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA
As the second largest city in the United States, it is a vast understatement to say that Los Angeles has a lot going on. From the star-studded eminence of the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the breathtaking views of Griffith Observatory, the attractions are endless. You might love it or hate it — the general consensus on the city is pretty polarized — but with the limitless saturation of culture and sunshine, we choose love.
The Raveonettes Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo treated fans and music journalists with the surprise release of 2014’s Pe’ahi, which gave their signature ethereal shoegaze noise a dose of surfer inspiration. We’re hoping for more tour dates this year. OK Go OK Go manage to make what could be fairly standard pop tunes into something you’ve never heard before thanks to unorthodox arrangements and performances. They are currently touring after their 2014 release Hungry Ghosts. Man Man The experimental rockers (originally from Philadelphia) incorporate brass and woodwinds with keyboard synths and heavy drums for a wild and crazy, bawdy sound. Frontman Honus Honus’ stage antics are the star of the show. Their latest release Oni Oni Pond, gave us our favorite sing-along “Head On [Hold Onto Your Heart].”
Fitz and the Tantrums Fitz and the Tantrums are unusual in that they are true Angelenos. They achieved widespread success with their debut album Pickin’ Up the Pieces and will tour later this month in South America in continued support of their second release, More Than Just a Dream.
Until the Ribbon Breaks The Welsh trio has been making waves with their hip-hop/jazz inflected electro-meets-R&B. Debut album A Lesson Unlearnt is out now and features the track “Revolution Indifference” with hip-hop’s current heavyweights Run the Jewels.
24 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Tim Nordwind of OK Go’s Perfect Los Angeles Day
Meditate French toast at Square One Bob Baker Marionette Theatre Hike at Angeles Crest Planetarium at Griffith Park Observatory Dinner at Salt’s Cure Magic at the Magic Castle Chocolate cake at Greenblatt’s Deli Go to bed. Square One Dining: 4854 Fountain Avenue; Bob Baker Marionette Theatre: 1345 West 1st Street; Salt’s Cure: 7494 Santa Monica Boulevard; Magic Castle: 7001 Franklin Avenue; Greenblatt’s Deli: 8017 Sunset Boulevard
Echo Park / Julie Leopo
Warpaint Since 2004, female foursome Warpaint have been kicking ass. Spanning many genres from indie, psychedelic, and art rock, to dream pop, their arrangements are complicated whether the songs are slow and sad or heavy and dark. Bleached Bleached is sister duo Jennifer and Jessica Clavin. Though they’ve only been around since 2011, these rad ladies have already made a substantial impact with their blissed out indie rock.
The Chain Gang of 1974 The Chain Gang of 1974 is the verbose stage name of Kamtin Mohager, who got his start as a bassist touring with the band 3OH!3 before going off on his own in 2010. Since then he has released three indie electro albums and teased us with side project Teenage Wrist.
Deap Vally Since 2011, Deap Vally — Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards — has been redefining raw, and rocking righteously. Debut album Sistrionix was released in 2013. Think distorted guitars, classically rocking drums, and shrill screams/soulful bellows. Hell yeah.
Hanni El Khatib Hanni El Khatib hit the scene in 2010, releasing his debut album Will the Guns Come Out the following year. Since then, he’s worked with Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to produce rock with funk and swagger. Latest LP Moonlight was released earlier this year.
BEST COFFEE
Ace Hotel / Julie Leopo
Bleached (Jennifer): I only drink chai tea. The Casbah in Silver Lake has the best. CG1974: If we are getting towards the west side, then it’s Deus for me. I surf almost every day, so it’s the perfect spot to hit in Venice. Super cool vibes, rad people, and coffee that hits your bones. I believe they brew Handsome Coffee. What more would you want? Fitz and the Tantrums (Noelle Scaggs): The Broome Street General Store Hanni El Khatib: Go Get Em Tiger Man Man (Honus Honus): Not drinking coffee these days (to balance out the Tequila intake) but I like watching my buddy Nick (Thorburn) enjoy a cup or two at Intelligentsia as he sketches his comics and checks out the scene. OK Go: Intelligentsia UTRB: Stumptown. A great cold brew and equally good name. Warpaint: Fix Coffee and Sqirl Casbah Cafe: 3900 Sunset Boulevard; Deus: 1001 Venice Blvd; The Broome Street General Store: 2912 Rowena Avenue; Go Get Em Tiger: 230 North Larchmont Boulevard; Intelligentsia: 3922 Sunset Boulevard; 1331 Abbot Kinney Boulevard; 2737; North San Fernando Road; Stumptown: 806 South Santa Fe Avenue; Fix Coffee: 2100 Echo Park Avenue; Sqirl: 720 North Virgil Avenue
The Raveonettes / courtesy of artist; Fitz and the Tantrums (Noelle Scaggs) / Saam Gabbay; Warpaint / Mia Kirby; Bleached: Chloe Aftel; The Chain Gang of 1974 / courtesy of artist; Deap Vally / Bryan Sheffield; Hanni El Khatib / Nick Walker; Until The Ribbon Breaks/ Kastor Podgorski.
The beautifully strange and lovely Los Angeles. — Kamtin Mohager, The Chain Gang of 1974
FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD
RECOMMENDED HOTEL
Bleached (Jessie): The new Ace Hotel in Downtown. They have a really nice rooftop bar. (Jennifer): Checkers Hotel in Downtown. CG1974: Ace Hotel downtown. Deap Vally: El Tres Silverlake Inn Fitz and the Tantrums: The Ace Hotel. Hanni El Khatib: The Line Hotel [Koreatown]. Man Man: Miyako Hotel in Little Tokyo simply because they have wonderful, complicated heated toilet seats in their rooms. And bidets. Nothing like a late night bidet. Or two. OK Go: The Charlie Hotel in West Hollywood. An old retreat of Charlie Chaplin. The Raveonettes: Chateau Marmont. UTRB: It has to be Chateau Marmont, for its cultural importance in the history of this town. If the walls could talk... Warpaint: El Tres in Silver Lake. Ace Hotel: 929 S Broadway; Checkers Hotel: 535 South Grand Avenue; El Tres Silverlake Inn: 4439 Sunset Boulevard; The Line Hotel: 3515 Wilshire Blvd; Miyako Hotel: 328 East 1st Street; The Charlie Hotel: 819 North Sweetzer Avenue; Chateau Marmont: 8221 Sunset Boulevard
Fix Coffee / Julie Leopo
Bleached (Jessie): Echo Park! It’s where I live, where I eat, where I skate. (Jennifer): Hollywood Hills, like Mulholland Drive. There is so much music history. CG1974: I do love living in Beachwood. Being near Franklin Village is great. Oaks Gourmet is my go-to for my morning cup of coffee. Upright Citizens Brigade is always a fun time if you’re looking for comedy. And La Poubelle is perfect for those interesting late nights. Deap Vally: Echo Park. Rolling hills, roaming artists, gang graffiti, a lake with pedal boats, and it’s walkable. Fitz and the Tantrums: I love my neighborhood of Silver Lake, it’s central to my everyday from Hollywood to Pasadena where my parents live. You can pretty much walk anywhere and the people are lovely. It’s our version of Williamsburg. Hanni El Khatib: Hancock Park. I love the history of the neighborhood as well as the architecture and style of all the buildings. Man Man: I find myself in the Glassell Park/Cypress Park area a lot because some great friends let me write on their piano during the day when they’re at work. I’m recording with a buddy in nearby Highland Park so I’ve started exploring that area a bit. K-Town and Little Tokyo are fun to drink, explore, eat in. I live in Silverlake at the moment (cue eye-rolls) and it’s really such a rad neighborhood. There ‘s nothing like living in a big city and still having to worry about being sprayed by a skunk on your walk home from the bar or running into a pack of coyotes. I’ve known great dogs eaten by coyotes. Rest in Peace, Otto. I miss you, you sweet, sweet little dude. OK Go: Silver Lake because it’s walkable. There’s a beautiful park and Resevoir. And lots of good places to eat. The Raveonettes: Downtown. That’s where I live. UTRB: Silver Lake. It feels like Brooklyn in Los Angeles, but with sunshine and more fish tacos. Warpaint: Echo Park; it’s still scummy and affordable with the option of hermitude and luxury Beachwood Neighborhood Picks; Oaks Gourmet: 1915 North Bronson Avenue; Upright Citizens Brigade: 5419 Sunset Boulevard & 5919 Franklin Avenue; La Poubelle: 5907 Franklin Avenue
LATE NIGHT HAUNTS
CG1974: Pho Cafe in Silverlake (but they close at 11, so be on top of it), Red Lion, Cafe 101, or Brite Spot. Deap Vally: El Atacor [cheap, quick, tasty Mexican] Fitz and the Tantrums: The House of Pies in Los Feliz, Burrito King in Echo Park, Ruen Pair in Los Feliz/Thai Town Hanni El Khatib: Taco Zone [arguably one of the best late night taco trucks in LA, known for their mulitas and sauces] Man Man: Taco Zone OK Go: Pacific Dining Car [1920s style steakhouse, open 24/7] The Raveonettes: Jumbo’s Clown Room [pole dancing, stiff drinks, rock ‘n’ roll vibes] UTRB: The Dresden. Divey — and Swingers was filmed in the bar and the couple that sing in the movie are real and still sing there to this day. Warpaint: Good Times at Davey Waynes [enter through a refrigerator door and walk into a ‘70s garage sale themed bar, with snowcones!] Pho Cafe: 2841 Sunset Boulevard; Red Lion Tavern: 2366 Glendale Boulevard; El Atacor: 3520 North Figueroa Street; Brite Spot: 1918 Sunset Boulevard; The House of Pies: 1869 North Vermont Avenue; Ruen Pair: 5257 Hollywood Boulevard; Taco Zone: Alvarado & Montana; Pacific Dining Car: 1310 West 6th Street & 2700 Wilshire Boulevard; Jumbo’s Clown Room: 5153 Hollywood Boulevard; The Dresden: 1760 N Vermont Ave; Good times at Davey Waynes: 1611 North El Centro Avenue Amoeba / Genesia Ting
UNDISCOVERED GEM
CG1974: Donut Friend in Highland Park. People are taking notice, but it’s still a new place. It’s a gourmet donut shop owned by Mark Trombino. He’s produced some of my favorite albums of all-time, and has named all of the donuts after bands that he has worked with like Jimmy Eat World, Drive Like Jehu, Mineral (just to name a few). I grew up in the punk/emo scene, so it’s a treat (no pun intended) for me to walk in and nerd out on all the stuff he has in there. Deap Vally: The meditation garden at the SelfRealization center. Fitz and the Tantrums: The Shrimp Lover in Hollywood [Cajun and Thai homestyle seafood] Hanni El Khatib: Cactus Store OK Go: St. Martha’s restaurant in Koreatown [eclectic Modern American cuisine to be paired with unusual wines] The Raveonettes: Huntington Library [picturesque library, museum, and botanical garden] UTRB: Well, if I was going to be facetious I would say that that is an impossible question, but... the view from the very top of Mulholland Drive is magical. Warpaint: Not undiscovered but definitely underrated: Ike Sushi in Hollywood Donut Friend: 5107 York Blvd; Self-Realization Fellowship: 3880 San Rafael Avenue; The Shrimp Lover: 5112 Hollywood Boulevard; Cactus Store: 1505 1/2 Echo Park Ave; Saint Martha: 740 Western Avenue; Huntington Library: 1151 Oxford Road; Ike Sushi: 6051 Hollywood Boulevard #105; Self-Realization Center:
BEST PLACE TO STILL BUY RECORDS Bleached: Amoeba of course, but other cool smaller stores like Headline Records [punk and hardcore selection, knowledgeable staff]. CG1974: This is a tough one for me because I’m such a vinyl nut. One of my go-to places is Vacation Vinyl in Silverlake. Always a solid selection, and they always make you feel at home. Wombleton Records in Highland Park is out of this world. If you’re a fan of ‘80s/’90s music, and can never find what you’re looking for, then go there. The selection is unreal. I could spend hours in there. Deap Vally: Still Amoeba. Fitz and the Tantrums: Amoeba Records. Hanni El Khatib: Amoeba Music is still a goldmine, and if you feel like making the trek to Long Beach, hit up Bagatelle Records. OK Go: Origami Vinyl in Echo Park. Warpaint: Mount Analog. Man Man: What are records? Let me text my buddy. Honus: Doing an interview about living in LA. What record stores should I give a shout out to? Jonah Ray: Jacknife Records and Tapes, Vacation Records, and Gimme Gimme Records. Honus: Thanks, man. How about Live Music Venues? Jonah Ray: Harold’s in San Pedro, Redwood Tavern, the Echo. Honus: Word. I’ll give you credit. Jonah Ray: Haha, nice. Honus: I just typed out our text conversation. Jonah Ray: Wish I knew. I would’ve been funnier. Amoeba: 6400 Sunset Boulevard; Headline Records: 7706 Melrose Avenue; Vacation Vinyl: 3815 Sunset Boulevard; Wombleton Records: 5123 York Boulevard; Bagatelle Records: 260 Atlantic Avenue; Origami Vinyl: 1816 Sunset Boulevard; Jacknife Records & Tapes: 3149 Glendale Boulevard; Gimme Gimme Records: 4628 York Boulevard; Harold’s in San Pedro: 1908 South Pacific Avenue; Mount Analog: 5906 1/2 N Figueroa St
CITY guide
MANCHESTER UK
Home to legendary bands such as the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, Oasis, and The Smiths, Manchester’s music history is staggering. Not to mention the city’s stunning architecture, which varies greatly in style and includes examples of Art Deco, Victorian, and contemporary architecture, among others. Elevate your senses no matter what facet of culture you immerse yourself in.
PINS An all-girl four-piece that got its start in 2011, PINS has a decidedly raw sound. Heavily distorted guitar and bass are joined by equally distorted vocals, and backed by hard-pounding, straightforward rock drumming, giving this band a classic garage rock sound. Their debut album Girls Like Us came out in 2013, and provided the platform on which they could tour Europe. They plan to release a follow-up album in June 2015. Black Rivers With Doves currently on hiatus and Jimi Goodwin solo, brothers Jez and Andy Williams have joined forces to form Black Rivers. Picking up where Doves’ last release Kingdom of Rust left off, their eponymous album is full of soaring rock, melancholy lyrics and surging with just enough beats to remind you of Doves’ Manchester roots as the band Sub Sub. Not many artists get a celebrated second act but this is an exception.
THE PERFECT MANCHESTER DAY
James: This city is so diverse I couldn’t walk just one line in one day, but any day that ends with one of those long summer evenings when everyone’s chilled is fine by me. On an evening like that, even this gritty city has a warm glow, it shows its warm side. Throw in a Craig Charles set at the Band on the Wall and I’d sleep a contented man. PINS: Get up, go for brunch at Common, which is where we’ll go on a Sunday because they have really great food and nice coffee, and it’s a real cool place. (Incredible Bloody Marys as well, for the morning after... They make them with beet root) and then go record shopping. Piccadilly Records or Vinyl Exchange. Go get another drink at Home Sweet Home, they sell nice cakes as well. Kind of a little tea... (I do feel like there would be a lot of drinking involved) Yea. Oldham Street’s really good cause it’s got all the vintage shops and they’re all pretty cheap. Buy a few things, have a bit of shopping. There’s a cool pub called The Castle as well, which would be likely to have a really good gig on in the evening. It’s really small but it always catches the bands just before they get big.
MANCHESTER town hall/SEAN NOLAN
Band on the Wall: 25 Swan Street; Common: 39-41 Edge Street; Piccadilly Records: 53 Oldham Street; Vinyl Exchange: 18 Oldham Street; Home Sweet Home: 49-51 Edge Street; The Castle: 66 Oldham Street
HAPPY HOUR
Black Rivers: Either The British Protection pub (it’s a ‘ye olde’ pub in central Manchester) or Mr. Thomas’s Chop House (another great pub). Dutch Uncles: Matt and Phreds jazz bar do a free pizza with every 2 cocktails purchased on a Tuesday night. Slam dunk! James: I don’t have a spot that makes me happy for an hour, but Common in the N4 [the Northern Quarter] makes me very happy for about 20 minutes with one of their Caipirinhas.
Dutch Uncles Playing in time signatures such as 5/4 while still maintaining an accessible sound, Dutch Uncles push the envelope of the definition of mainstream music. Labeled as indie pop, math pop, and art rock, this is a band that will keep you guessing. Their fourth studio album O Shudder is out now.
The British Protection: 50 Great Bridgewater Street; Mr Thomas’s Chop House: 52 Cross Street; Matt and Phreds: 85 Oldham Street
BEST PLACE TO STILL BUY RECORDS
Black Rivers: Piccadilly Records Manchester Dutch Uncles: If you’re looking for up to the minute releases, look no further than Piccadilly Records. If you’re looking for second hand at great prices then you should take the 85 bus to Chorlton and stop by Kingbee Records. James: Vinyl Alley in N4 - special mention for Beatin’ Rhythm and Piccadilly Records. Piccadilly Records: 53 Oldham Street; Beatin’ Rhythm: 108 Tib Street; Kingbee Records: 519 Wilbraham Road
26 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
PINS AT PICCADILY RECORDS/ELINOR JONES
Black Rivers / courtesy of artist; Dutch Uncles / Adrian Lambert; James / courtesy of artist; PINS / JULIE LEOPO
James One of Manchester’s most beloved bands, James has been releasing album after album since 1982. Their unique mix of folk, dance, and rock as well as their legendary reputation as a live band has resulted in a devoted fan base and a back catalogue stuffed with hit singles. Their most recent album, La Petit Mort, was released in 2014. Two of their most innovative albums (produced by Brian Eno) Laid and Wah Wah are slated for deluxe re-issues in late March 2015.
LIVE MUSIC VENUE
BEST SHAWARMA
Black Rivers: The Apollo in Ardwick Dutch Uncles: The Deaf Institute still hasn’t lost its ability for an atmosphere after six years of constant gigs. Still the best small venue in town. James: Too many to mention...it is Manchester after all, but a shout out to Academy 2 and the Band on the Wall has a couple of nice vibey rooms to play, and of course the Mighty Apollo. James recently played at Castlefield Bowl, an outdoor venue in the heart of the city. 8000 capacity but you can see everyone in the place, it’s real close, real intimate. It’s limited to five concerts a year through ‘safety’ concerns - what a shame, it’s a great venue. PINS: Probably at The Castle. Gullivers, Soup Kitchen. The Eagle. Deaf Institute. The Apollo: Stockport Road, Ardwick Green; The Deaf Institute: 135 Grosvenor Street; Band on the Wall: 25 Swan Street, The Northern Quarter; Castlefield Bowl: 101; Liverpool Road; The Castle: 66 Oldham Street; Gullivers: 109 Oldham Street; The Soup Kitchen Manchester: 31-33 Spear Street; The Eagle: 15 Bloom Street; Academy 2: Manchester University Union, Oxford Road
Black Rivers: Akbar’s Dutch Uncles: Well I haven’t tried the shawarma there yet, but Al Quds on the Curry Mile holds the WKD Best Kebab in Town title and for good reason. We strongly recommend the Kobeda or Kobeda and Chicken Mixed Kebab, to eat in, with the sauces separate for dipping. Oh, yeah. James: I’m a longtime veggie so couldn’t say, but you can get many Middle Eastern varieties of kebab along Rusholme’s famous Curry Mile. Want great Papri Chaat or Bhel Puri, then head to the Punjab Sweet House. Akbar’s: 73-83 Liverpool Road; Al-Quds: 187 Wilmslow Road; Punjab Sweet House: 177 Wilmslow Road PINS AT THE BUNKER/ELINOR JONES
FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD
LATE NIGHT HAUNTS
Black Rivers: The Soup Kitchen Manchester Dutch Uncles: If you can get in, the Seven Oaks pub in Chinatown will keep you in Guinness and Monster Munch ‘til breakfast time. But you didn’t hear that from me. The Soup Kitchen Manchester: 31-33 Spear Street; Seven Oaks: 5 Nicholas Street
FAVORITE LANDMARK
Black Rivers: Eastlands- Manchester City’s football ground and The Palace Hotel Dutch Uncles: When the evening sun reflects off the west side of the Midland Hotel and it looks like a big wet chocolate cake. James: The ‘Pop Pavement Art’ on Oldham Street outside Night and Day Café and Dry Bar. The James logo carved into the streets of my hometown, humbling. PINS: Salford Lad’s Club. It’s not actually in Manchester, it’s in Salford as the name might suggest. But it’s fairly near. It’s where The Smiths did that iconic photo. The Palace Hotel: Oxford Street; Midland Hotel: Peter Street; Salford Lad’s Club: St. Ignatius Walk
LOCAL BEERS AND SPIRITS
Black Rivers: Manchester Pale Ale / Moonshine Dutch Uncles: There’s been a few breweries pop up around Manchester in the last year or two such as First Chop, Quantum, and Blackjack which complement the already stunning quality of household name Marble Brewery. But as I’m not too au fait on my ales I’ll simply go with who has the best Pump Clip Artwork, so take a bow Blackjack beers! James: Well it used to be “The Cream of Manchester” Boddingtons Bitter. The Manchester water, from a natural spring below the brewery, was 98% of the beer and helped form its buttery taste. Idiot Dutch brewers took it over, restructured production’ and moved the brewery to Wales!! ...Authenticity matters, folks! PINS: I used to work at Marble Brewery. It’s all organic, vegan beer and it’s brewed on premises. They’ve actually started shipping it over to the US now. I saw some in Whole Foods which was really exciting.
Black Rivers: Urmston. It’s the next Chorlton but less pretentious with fewer wannabe muso’s [young musicians] and has more space. Dutch Uncles: The aroma of the Curry Mile (Rusholme) in the summer in the early hours, when the students have all left. Bliss. James: My neighborhood, the Northern Quarter or N4. The reasons? It just has that thing! It has an authenticity that it’s always in danger of losing, plus virtually all my picks for you today are based there. PINS: In the Center it would probably be the Northern Quarter. Maybe not on a Friday or Saturday night but the rest of the time, because there’s loads of vintage shops, pubs, as mentioned, cafes... and it’s where our rehearsal space is as well, so we’re always there.
UNDISCOVERED GEM
Black Rivers: Castlefield Canal area Dutch Uncles: The Nexus Art Cafe used to be a great place to go after an indie disco/club if you’d missed the last train home or just needed some shelter whilst waiting to hear about a party. Cups of tea, board games, and a grossly out of tune piano always made for interesting scenes at 3 a.m. PINS: A place called Temple Bar which is a dishy public toilet which you go down into and there’s just a tiny bar in there. Yea. It’s just got a sign outside, you may not know it’s there. But that’s really cool, that pub, because just like 30 people can fit in there. Or The Bunker. When it’s open the Bunker in Salford (which is just next to Manchester) is a really cool place to catch a gig. But it’s unadvertised, so... The Nexus Art Cafe: 2 Dale Street; Temple Bar: 100 Great Bridgewater Street; The Bunker: Strangeway Studios, Unit 3,; Dickinson Street, Salford
SHOPPING
Dutch Uncles: Oi Polloi’s alright, if you have a million pounds to spend, but I suppose Cow by the bus station would be decent for the mid-range spender. And if you go to Blue Rinse on Oldham Street and ask for Hewitt, he’ll sing to you any Prince songs your heart desires while you shop. James: The lads of Oi Polloi, knowledgeable, especially regarding classic UK sneakers. PINS: I always find good stuff in a little vintage shop called Retro Rehab on Oldham Street. There are nice dresses and things. Oi Polloi: 63 Thomas Street; Cow: Unit C1, Piccadilly Plaza, Parker Street; Blue Rinse: 21-23 Oldham Street; Retro Rehab: 91 Oldham Street
BEST COFFEE
Black Rivers: Manchester Town Hall Dutch Uncles: North Tea Power on Tib Street. Hands down. James: North Tea Power [N4] PINS: Well, I like Oklahoma for coffee. And just in general... It does smoothies and nice, healthy stuff. We’re vegetarians as well so we always seek out the veggie places and they’re particularly friendly. Manchester Town Hall: Lloyd Street; North Tea Power: 36 Tib Street; Oklahoma: 74-76 High Street
PINS AT OKLAHOMA/ELINOR JONES
CITY guide
PORTLAND OREGON
Though Portland is ranked as the number one most depressed city in the United States, don’t let that bum you out. Pain is often what fuels great art, and in that regard Portland is no exception. Starting in the ‘90s as a place of musical revolution, an alarming amount of great bands — and hilarious TV, ahem, Portlandia — still emerge from Oregon’s biggest city. It is a cultured part of the country to say the least, with its liberal attitudes, progressive political stances, and perhaps most definitively of all, pervasive coffee culture. It may be the birthplace of ultimate hipsterdom, but that only proves hipsters aren’t so bad after all.
The Decemberists It is safe to say at this point that The Decemberists have achieved the status of indie rock legends. Since 2002 this five-piece band has been putting out albums every one to three years, steadily building a fanbase dedicated to their original sound and sly lyrical musings. They released an album in January titled What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, which they are currently touring on.
View from Portland City Grill / Jonathan Marcos
Mimicking Birds What originally started as founder Nate Lacy’s solo project, Mimicking Birds gradually expanded into a five-piece band after being signed in 2008 to Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock’s label, Glacial Pace Recordings. They subsequently released two albums, the most recent being Eons, which was released in 2014. Pink Feathers Liz Anjos, better known by her stage name, Pink Feathers, blends her unique melodic sensibilities with her soulfully dulcet voice to create a genre self-described as Eccentric Oregon Pop. Though Pink Feathers is only about a year in the making, but her Invisible Lines EP will have us dancing into summer. Priory A duo consisting of Brandon Rush and Kyle Sears, Priory fuses live instrumentation with electronic elements to make catchy, handraising anthems. You may know them from their successful debut single “Weekend” released in June 2014. Their debut album is slated to be released in November.
Clinton Street Records / courtesy of Blouse
Blouse Formed in 2010, Blouse is a band that spans many genres. With hard-smacking, meaty drum tones, and the frequent use of synthesizers and electronics, their songs have a decidedly ‘80s feel at times. The ethereal voice of female singer Charlie Hilton only adds to the eclecticism of their sound and can come off as almost anachronistic in comparison to the music. Their eponymously titled debut album was released in 2011, and was followed shortly thereafter in 2013 by Imperium.
Best place to still buy records
Blouse: There are tons. Clinton Street Records is my favorite. The Decemberists (Chris Funk): Vinyl Resting Place in Sellwood. Clinton Street Records. Mississippi Records. Mimicking Birds (Nick Lacy): Vinyl Resting Place (St. Johns) Pink Feathers: Music Millennium Priory (Brandon): Music Millennium. I’ve been buying records from this store since I was 13. It is very much a part of Portland’s culture. Clinton Street Records: 2510 Southeast Clinton Street; Vinyl Resting Place: 8332 North Lombard Street; Music Millennium: 3158 East Burnside Street
28 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
St. Johns Bridge / Jonathan Marcos
Favorite landmark
Blouse: I’m in love with Mount Hood. On a clear day, you can see it from any highpoint in the city, even though it’s an hour away. It feels very spiritual because it’s shaped like a cone, which is so unlike the Californian mountain ranges I grew up around. It’s as if it has a singular personality. I spend a lot of time there, and I feel oddly protected by it. The Decemberists: Joan of Arc in the middle of Cesar Chavez. Mimicking Birds: Portland GasCo Building [locals are fighting to preserve the historic dilapidated building] Pink Feathers: It’s a bit of a drive, but Haystack Rock off of the Oregon coast. Priory (Kyle): St. Johns Bridge.
Mount Hood / courtesy of Blouse
St. Johns Bridge: 8600 Northwest Bridge Avenue
Live music venue
Blouse: There are always good shows at Bunk Bar, and they serve giant sandwiches and the best margarita slushies. The Decemberists: Fluctuates from Doug Fir and Mississippi Studios. It [Doug Fir] has a built in audience which is really cool so it just feels like it’s always packed. Mimicking Birds: Mississippi Studios or Doug Fir Pink Feathers: Doug Fir Lounge Priory (Brandon): Mississippi Studios. They have good food, great sound, and even better staff. Shout out to Jim Brumberg. Clyde Common /courtesy of Ace Hotel
Bunk Bar: multiple locations; Doug Fir: 830 East Burnside Street; Mississippi Studios: 3939 North Mississippi Avenue
Best shawarma
Blouse: I’m a vegetarian; my favorite falafel is from a street cart called Wolf and Bear. The Decemberists: A place on Hawthorne called Riyadh’s. Nicholas is amazing too. TarBoush is really awesome so it’s between those three. Mimicking Birds: Blue Olive Café Pink Feathers: Nicholas, hands down. Priory (Kyle): Nicholas Restaurant. Many a night we have gorged ourselves on their fresh made big bread. I also love their Turkish coffee.
Stumptown / courtesy of Ace Hotel
The Decemberists / Autumn DeWilde; Mimicking Birds / Ben Moon; Pink Feathers / Jon Duenas; Priory / Jiro Schneider; Blouse / Joe Jagos
Recommended hotel
Blouse: If you want a fancy old building, I heard the Benson has a really beautiful piano bar. On the east side, the Jupiter is more affordable, but it can be loud. But honestly, the best night I ever spent in a hotel was at the Holiday Inn Express in the industrial northeast. There’s lots of parking and a fresh waffle machine. Unfortunately, there’s not much around there. The Decemberists: Ace Hotel is an awesome place. They have an amazing new bar in their basement. It’s awesome peeps. Mimicking Birds: Hotel deLuxe Pink Feathers: The Ace downtown. It has a perfect central location right near Powell’s and the Pearl District for great shopping and food. It’s also attached to Clyde Common and Stumptown, some of the best dining and coffee around. Priory (Kyle): Ace Hotel for the Portland experience. It is also attached to Clyde Common which has some killer eats. Ace Hotel: 1022 Southwest Stark Street; Benson: 309 Southwest Broadway; Jupiter Hotel: 800 East Burnside Street; Holiday Inn Express: multiple locations; Hotel deLuxe: 729 Southwest 15th Avenue; Clyde Common: 1014 Southwest Stark Street
happy hour Blouse: I’ve only been once, but Portland City Grill stands out as the most epic. It’s on the 30th floor of a building downtown, so you can get a sense of the city from up there and there are all kinds of people. Go early if you want a window seat and order sushi. The Decemberists: LaurelThirst, it’s been around for a long time and they have free music for happy hour. Mimicking Birds: Por Que No [taqueria] Pink Feathers: Bartini at Urban Fondue. They have over 100 kinds of martinis. Try the Rosemary Grapefruit martini and Ruby Port fondue. Priory (Brandon): Bunk Bar and Low Bar (we clearly like simple bar names). While we were making the album we were at our buddy Matt Brown’s Bunk Bar almost every day for lunch. Our current favorite spot for happy hour is now Low Bar. They make killer Greyhounds with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Portland City Grill: 111 Southwest 5th Avenue; LaurelThirst Public House: 2958 Northeast Glisan Street; Por Que No: 3524 North Mississippi & 4635 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard; Bartini: 2108 Northwest Glisan Street; Bunk Bar: multiple locations
Wolf and Bear: multiple locations; Riyadh’s: 1318 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard; Nicholas Restaurant: multiple locations; TarBoush: 3257 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard; Blue Olive Café: 2712 NE Alberta
Late night haunts
Blouse: I find myself at Moloko a lot. I like it because it’s never very crowded and they have a few saltwater tanks with tons of exotic fish. It’s fun to sit at the bar and zone out. The Decemberists: This restaurant called Little Bird, it’s an awesome place to get late night food. Mimicking Birds: Out in the woods Pink Feathers: Pix Patisserie for fancy French desserts. Their rose macaron is perfection. Priory (Kyle): Low Bar, Ground Kontrol, Holocene, Voodoo Doughnut, Valentine’s etc. This could take awhile. Moloko: 3967 North Mississippi Avenue; Little Bird Bistro: 219 Southwest 6th Avenue; Pix Patisserie: 2225 East Burnside Street; Low Bar (Low Brow Lounge): 1036 Northwest Hoyt Street; Ground Kontrol: 511 Northwest Couch Street; Holocene: 1001 Southeast Morrison Street; Voodoo Doughnut: 22 Southwest 3rd Avenue & 1501 Northeast Davis Street; Valentine’s: 232 Southwest Ankeny Street
Voodoo Doughnut / Jason Hwee
CULTURE COLLIDE . 29
CITY guide
SEOUL KOREA
Seoul, Korea, is the eighth most crowded city per square mile in the world. But you won’t have time to feel claustrophobic because there is so much to see and do. From its famous war memorials to its gorgeous national parks, this large metropolitan city atop the Han River is unlike anywhere else. Hint: you won’t go wrong in Hongdae.
FROM THE AIRPORT Indie electro-pop band From The Airport independently released Colors in 2012. Since then, they’ve been busy releasing singles, and in 2015 dropped their debut full length, You Could Imagine, with local indie record label Fluxus Music.
ROCK N ROLL RADIO True to their name, Rock n Roll Radio mixes good ol’ rock ’n’ roll with infectious, dance-y grooves. They have been a mainstay in the local music scene, playing major music festivals in Korea since 2012.
BIG PHONY Big Phony is the self-deprecating stage name of singer/songwriter Bobby Choy — but he’s the real deal. This Korean native got his start in New York, and has been slowly building a faithful fanbase for his sweet sounds since the mid-2000s.
LOVE X STEREO Since 2011, duo Annie Ko and Toby Hwang have combined electronic and rock under the moniker Love X Stereo. Their newest EP We Love We Leave, Part I was released earlier this year. Pump up their upbeat ode to home, “Soul City (Seoul City).”
Bird’s eye view of Hongik University Street [Hongdae]
PLACES TOURISTS WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT
Big Phony: There’s a drinking place called “ ” (Intestine Casserole) which is actually a popular Korean dish. They don’t serve this on the menu — it’s actually a place to drink soju, beer, and makgeoli, while listening to a great selection of older classic Korean tunes. The walls are lined with vintage Korean vinyl records. From the Airport: Yeonhui-dong [up-andcoming college neighborhood]. It’s near Hongdae and you can find a lot of high-class restaurants and cafes there. Love X Stereo: Nuridream Square food court [tech-focused exhibit center and building]
LIVE MUSIC VENUE
Rock n Roll Radio: Club Freebird in Hongdae. Big Phony: Hongdae has the most live music clubs. Some of my favorites are small and intimate like Jebidabang and Veloso. From the Airport: Our favorite is MUV Hall, where we had our first live concert. [International acts such as St. Vincent have played the intimate Hongdae venue] Love X Stereo: Club FF [live music venue in Hongdae that turns into a dance club after midnight]
TIPS FOR TOURISTS
Rock n Roll Radio: You should not visit Gangnam. It’s not Beverly Hills in Korea. Too crowded. It’s an annoying, useless street. Big Phony: Cash tipping isn’t necessary in Korea. Subway is sometimes faster than cabbing it. Very simple to use. Check your receipts at cafes. They sometimes put the WiFi passwords on them for you to access. Dawn 808 is great for hangovers. It’s available at any convenience store. Drink one can before a night of drinking, before you pass out, or when you wake up. Pour and receive alcohol with two hands. Everyone goes out for lunch from 12-1 p.m. Try and eat lunch before or after that to avoid the rush. From the Airport: It’s not mandatory to tip at restaurants or in taxis. You can if you want, but no one expects you to do so! Everything is open really late, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to find some place to eat. Love X Stereo: Tips aren’t mandatory here. So tip from your heart.
BEST PLACE FOR RECORDS
Rock n Roll Radio: Purple Record in Hongdae Big Phony: The Seoul Record Fair, held once a year at Platoon Kunsthalle. From the Airport: There aren’t many record shops left in Korea due to the boom in the online music industry, but our favorite is Hyang Music in Sinchon. It’s really small, but you can often find rare items there. Citizen Park, Hangang River
30 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE Hongdae nightlife
While in Seoul:
LATE NIGHT HAUNTS
There are several Tourist Information Centers. The main Tourist Information Center (TIC) is in the basement level of the KTO’s Seoul office. Get free maps and info from staff fluent in English, Japanese, and Chinese. The TIC also offers basic medical services and free Internet. Korea Tourism Organization Headquarters, 40, Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 100-180, Korea
Rock n Roll Radio: In Ilsan (near Seoul) called I’m Donburi, which is open 24 hours. Very delicious Japanese rice bowl. Big Phony: “Pojangmatchas” are drinking establishments that serve mainly beer, soju, and food that goes well with beer and soju. Some stay open 24 hours. They are everywhere. From the Airport: Sahm in Apgujeong, and if you feel like bowling, we recommend Pierrot Strike, also in Apgujeong. Love X Stereo: Monster Pizza [cheap, New Yorkstyle pizza in Hongdae]
Incheon International Airport has two locations (East Wing) Hours: 07:00–22:00; +82-32-743-2600~1 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) 272, Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon (Incheon International Airport Passenger Terminal (1F) Exit 5)
BEST STREET FOOD
Rock n Roll Radio: Nearby Noryangjin Station there’s a lot of street food, such as Vietnamese rice noodle, hot dogs, curry, and more. Big Phony: Gwangjang Shijang [traditional marketplace]. A must-visit. Everything from “knife noodles” cut fresh in front of you, “crack” gimbap, blood sausage, sashimi and shellfish, beef tartare, raw liver, pizza pie-sized mung bean pancakes, and much, much more. From the Airport: You can easily find ttukbok-ee, or spicy stir-fried rice cake. It goes well with Sundae, which is basically pig intestines stuffed with various ingredients, kind of like sausage! Love X Stereo: Hotteok [filled, sweet Korean pancake, popular in winter]
FAVORITE SPOT FOR DRINKING
Rock n Roll Radio: Anywhere in Hongdae. Full of beautiful women. [Hongdae is an artsy, college neighborhood in Mapo-gu in the western end of Seoul] Big Phony: I love drinking out in front of convenience stores. Most of them have plastic picnic tables and chairs out front. Soju is only a buck and there’s an endless variety of Korean snacks and beer food. Very common thing to do. From the Airport: Itaewon, the perfect town for beer or cocktails. Love X Stereo: Hangang River [major historic landmark]
Street performers in Hongdae
(West Wing) Hours: 07:00–22:00; +82-32-743-2602~3 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) 272, Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon (Incheon International Airport Passenger Terminal (1F) Exit 10)
Before You Go:
Visit the official tourism website Korea Tourism Organization (english.visitkorea.or.kr) US offices Los Angeles (1-323-634-0280 or email la@kntoamerica.com) New York area (1-201-585-0909 or email ny@kntoamerica.com)
FAVORITE HOMETOWN DISH
Rock n Roll Radio: Pork and rice soup called “ ” at Mangwon-dong in Seoul. But it comes from Busan. [dong means neighborhood; Busan is South Korea’s second largest city] Big Phony: Samgyubsal — pork belly BBQ. Korean BBQ is something I can never get sick of. I can’t get enough of it. I have my favorite places to go but the list is long. You can find it at almost every single corner in Seoul. They’re all pretty darn good. From the Airport: Bossam, which is boiled pork Korean style. You eat it with Kimchi and various vegetables, with Korean sauce as well. They serve it at a restaurant called Donko Bossam, located in Hongdae. The interior is not that fancy, but the food is amazing. Love X Stereo: Samgyeopsal (pork) at Donenu (Hongdae area): TIP: Order the “Byeotjip Samgyeopsal ( ).”
Hongdae at night
RECOMMENDED HOTEL
Big Phony: If you want fancy, The Conrad or The Ritz. From the Airport: Itaewon’s Hyatt Hotel if you have the budget! The lobby cafe offers live jazz performances, and the location is really good as well. Love X Stereo: Sophia Guesthouse (Korean traditional hanok guesthouse).
FAVORITE LANDMARK
Busy street in Hongdae
Photos courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization
Big Phony: The Han River is a great place to hang out, go for a bike ride or a leisurely stroll. It goes for miles… From the Airport: Bukchon, very near the famous Gwanghwamun gate. You can find lots of traditional Korean stuff there. The buildings around the area are also very traditional. Love X Stereo: Nakwon Musical Instruments Arcade [a giant complex filled with music shops]
Bukchon Hanok Village
CULTURE COLLIDE . 31
CITY guide
GOTHENBURG sweden
One of the major cultural hubs of Scandinavia, the country’s largest city hosts several major events, from the Göteborg International Film Festival to music festivals like Metaltown and Way Out West. Gothenburg even has the rare honor of being home to the creation of an entire music genre: melodic death metal. Immerse yourself in Gothenburg’s influential culture.
Liseberg amusement park / Göran Assner/imagebank.sweden.se
THE PERFECT DAY BY JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ José González Singer-songwriter José González mixes proficiently fingerpicked classical guitar melodies with soft, unassuming vocals to create a haunting and memorable sound that’ll stay with you for days. He’s back on the scene with his first album since 2007, Vestiges and Claws.
josé gonzález with friends / courtesy of josé gonzález
José González: May. Spring is here. I grab a coffee in the morning sun and hang out with friends, play some guitar, have a run in the forest, have a siesta, eat some good food, go out to a club, fall asleep.
Little Dragon Though the four-piece Little Dragon makes mostly electronically based music, their sound is quite protean. From synth-pop and indietronica, to trip hop and dream pop, they aren’t easy to pigeonhole. Active since 1996, they are currently touring on their fourth album Nabuma Rubberband, released last year. Laleh Starting out as an actress, singer/ songwriter Laleh switched gears and launched her music career in 2003. Since then she has put out five albums, her most recent being 2013’s Colors. Laleh’s efforts in the music industry have not gone unnoticed, and in December of last year, she was voted Honorary citizen of Gothenburg — which is only awarded to one person each year. El Perro Del Mar Sarah Assbring, better known by her stage name El Perro Del Mar released her self-titled debut album in 2005, a deluxe version of which was released in February of this year in celebration of its ten year anniversary. This edition includes ten previously unheard tracks, which consist mostly of demos and live performances. Her fifth studio album will be out later this year. JJ Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander comprise the duo JJ. With a sound that ranges from indie pop to hip-hop, JJ definitely have a talent for keeping things fresh. They released their debut album in 2009, which garnered overwhelming critical acclaim, and got them signed to American label Secretly Canadian. Their latest album V came out last year.
Avenyn / Göran Assner
BEST COFFEE
El Perro Del Mar: Bar Centro in the centre of the city. Not the most fun area of the city but the café in itself takes you someplace else for a minute and the coffee is delicious. JJ: Kaffebaren in Yaki-Da. They have the best irish coffee, not to mention staff!! José González: Cigarren [pair a cigar with your latte] Little Dragon: Bar Centro brews that stuff in the good old Italian way. Bar Centro: Kyrkogatan 31, 411 08; Kale’i Kaffebar: Kyrkogatan 13, 411 15; Cigarren: Järntorget 6, 413 04
32 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
FAVORITE DIVE BAR
El Perro Del Mar: Kino at Linnégatan. A little bit of Berlin in Gothenburg. JJ: Sejdeln on Andra Lång! They sometimes have a music quiz. José González: Murveln [pub grub] Little Dragon: Plankan [pub grub] Kino: Linnégatan 21, 413 04; Sejdeln: Andra Långgatan 28, 413 27; Murveln: Nordstan, 404 29; Plankan: Allmänna vägen 14, 414 60
LATE NIGHT HAUNTS
JJ: Pustervik. They got it all, man. Soups, beers, chill vibe, and music. José González: Yaki Da [multi-level dance club, organic bistro, and coffee bar] Pustervik: Järntorgsgatan 12, 413 01; Yaki Da: Storgatan 47, 411 38
Feskekôrka fish church / Simon Paulin/imagebank.sweden.se
FAVORITE LANDMARK
BEST PLACE TO STILL BUY RECORDS
José González / Malin Johansson; Little Dragon / Marco Van Rijt; Laleh / courtesy of artist; JJ / Malin Bernalt
El Perro Del Mar: Bengans in Majorna. A classic record store where I would spend every Saturday browsing for new and old music in my teens. Dirty Records in Vasastan is another good place to get vintage vinyl. José González: Bengans at Stigbergstorget. Laleh: Bengans in Majorna where I bought my first record — it was Billie Holiday’s Greatest Hits album. Little Dragon: Bengans on Stigbergstorget or Andra långs skivhandel. Bengans: Stigbergstorget 1, 414 63; Dirty Records: Andra Långgatan 4, 413 03; Andra Långgatans Skivhandel: Andra Långgatan 33, 413 27
FAVORITE CLOTHING AND SHOE BOUTIQUES
El Perro Del Mar: The Gothenburg Botanical Garden. Head up to the beautiful and serene Japanese garden where there’s a hidden spot among the trees where you can truly get away from everything and spend hours on a little bench. I used to go here to write lyrics when I still lived in the city. JJ: Masthuggskyrkan because of the lovely view. You can see most of the city. José González: The Archipelago [more than 20 islands stretching along the coast] Laleh: Trädgårdsföreningen right in the heart of the city. It’s a flower garden where you can find flowers from all over the world and there is a cafe where you can have delicious food or amazing desserts. Little Dragon: Feskekörka — a fish market in a church-like building. The Gothenburg Botanical Garden: Carl Skottsbergs Gata 22A, 413 19; Masthuggskyrkan: Storebackegatan 15, 413 18; Trädgårdsföreningen: Slussgatan 1, 411 06; Feskekörka: Rosenlundsgatan, 411 25
LIVE MUSIC VENUE
El Perro Del Mar: Myrorna at Järntorget or Emmaus on Linnégatan. I always go to these two places when in town and I always score! JJ: Shelta [sneakers, street fashion], Sincerely Yours, and Martinshop [adult shop]. José González: Myrorna. Little Dragon: Great bags at Sandqvist on Andra lång. Sturdy boots at Lester. Good secondhand clothes at Emmaus or Grandpa.
El Perro Del Mar: The Gothenburg Concert Hall. JJ: Pustervik. Great all in all. Nice live room with a built-in basketball court! Laleh: If you’re into jazz I would recommend Nefertiti. It has that authentic vibe to it that takes you back to a jazz joint in New York in the ‘40s. Little Dragon: Koloni holds concerts in different venues once or twice a month of local and international underground acts.
Myrorna: Järntorgsgatan 10, 413 01; Emmaus Björkå: Linnégatan 9, 413 04; Shelta: Andra Långgatan 21, 413 28; Martinshop: Andra Långgatan 3, 413 03; Sandqvist: Andra Långgatan 22, SE-413 28; Lester: Södra Larmgatan 9, 403 15; Grandpa: Vallgatan 3, 411 16
The Gothenburg Concert Hall: Viktor Rydbergsgatan; Pustervik: Järntorgsgatan 12, 413 01; Nefertiti: Hvitfeldtsplatsen 6, 411 20
WHERE TO STAY
El Perro Del Mar: Hotel Eggers right near the Central Station because it’s the only French looking classic hotel in Gothenburg. JJ: Mornington on Avenyn. Close to one of the best clubs and a great stay all in all. They also serve coffee in the lobby 24/7! José González: Hotel Flora [close to restaurants, clubs, shopping, attractions] Laleh: The Tower Hotel is next to an amusement park called Liseberg, which is great if you have kids, and really fun if you don’t and you don’t take yourself too seriously and wouldn’t mind screaming and having a lot of fun on the rides there. Little Dragon: Hotel Dorsia has good food and jazzy interiors.
Götaplatsen / courtesy of Laleh
LALEH'S FAVORITE SWEDISH ARTISTS Favorite Up and Comer Amazon is a really interesting band that just started. The drummer in this band, Nils Thörnquist, is one of the best drummers I’ve played with and has been on my latest tours. I just love his sound and what they are creating with Amazon. Sweden’s Claim to Fame ABBA, without a doubt. Still and forever the answer is ABBA. I did a cover of one of their songs “Chiquitita.” Check it out, and if/when you listen to it, all proceeds will go to UNICEF to support girls’ rights worldwide Most Unique Artist The Knife is very unique and very Swedish. Indie Rock King or Queen We definitely have great rock bands in Scandinavia. Just start [by] checking out Mando Diao, The Knife, [and] Sahara Hotnights and you are off to a pretty good start. Band On the Rise Niki & The Dove are really great. I just love them — a good concept, good sounds and production, very Scandinavian. We played on the same festival once and it was really nice seeing them live. I highly recommend it. Game-Changing Act Avicii needs no introduction I guess, but he has definitely changed the scene in his own way, dominating his genre for a while now, and it will be very interesting to see how and where he will end up in a few years. [I’m] hoping for more experimental stuff from him and I like how he is creating some sort of pop in his own way.
archipelago / Martin Jakobsson/imagebank.sweden.se
Hotel Eggers: Drottningtorget 2-4, 411 03; Mornington: Kungsportsavenyen 6, 411 36; Hotel Flora: Grönsakstorget 2, 411 17; The Tower Hotel: Mässans gata 24, 402 26; Liseberg Park: Örgrytevägen 5, 402 22; Hotel Dorsia: Trädgårdsgatan 6, 411 08
Way Out West in Slottsskogen park / Rodrigo Rivas Ruiz/imagebank.sweden.se
CULTURE COLLIDE . 33
CITY guide
chicago illinois
Chicago isn’t just wind, pizza, and John Hughes movies. The scrappy city also has one of the coolest music histories from blues and the hot jazz scene, to the birth of house music in the early ‘80s. With alt rock bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco, Liz Phair, and Urge Overkill putting Chicago on the map in the ‘90s, the city has attracted and produced some of the country’s best indie artists. It's also home to internationally renowned festivals, such as Lollapalooza and Pitchfork.
Dusek’s / Clayton HaucK
Mike Kinsella (Owls, Owen, American Football) Chances are you really like one of his bands and strongly dislike the others. Or it’s likely you love/hate everything he’s ever done. Either way, this man embodies art in its most pure form. Mike, as well as his brothers Tim and Nate, has been at the nucleus of the Chicago indie art pop scene for over 20 years and will continue to release polarizing records for another 20. Disappears This unsung “superband” blankets each of its records in heavy shadows of auditory macabre hypnosis in the most masterful way. To some they may come off bloodless and cold, but that’s just because they are eternal and they don’t have time to pander to those of us that will expire. This is the real immortal deal. The Life and Times If there is such a thing as paying dues in rock music, TLAT has no outstanding debts. In fact, they could probably do some collecting. Since their inception circa 2002, these Midwest boys have been watermarking their sound with a massively lush, overblown subtlety. Their latest release, Lost Bees reflects the realness in how aggressively beautiful melodic rawness can be. Twin Peaks These druggy dream garage poppers are crushing the post-teen scene on that charming youth edginess tip with tunes from their creamy delicious LP Wild Onion. Bailiff The dark-blues pop of windy city workhorses Bailiff has been haunting Chicago’s finest venues and festivals for the better half of a decade. With ethereal tone choice, intelligent design, and supreme musicianship, they own their craft. They released their latest LP Remise in early 2014. Lili K The silky satin youth in 23-year-old jazz/ R&B songstress Lili K’s voice is garnishing a good deal of well deserved praise from her contemporaries. She is slated to release her debut self-produced album Ruby this April.
Bloody Mary at Lula / Shelby Alison
Dusek’s in Thalia Hall / Clayton Hauck
Meat Wave Dirty, filthy, stinkin’ lo-fi energy. Oh, and pop hooks, lot’s of yummy punkish-pop hooks. A nice throwback to the raw side of tasty treats when these kids were… well, pre-kids. The protein wave of these grungy uptempo crushers will get dat azz shakin’.
Recommended hotel
Bailiff: The W on Lakeshore. Lili K: The Dana Hotel. A friend of mine stayed there while he was on tour, and a group of us hung out in his room after their show. It’s so fancy shmancy, and I love it. Springtime Carnivore: The Drake The Life and Times: Longman and Eagle [industrial and steampunky tavern specialising in whiskey] The W: 644 North Lake Shore Drive; The Dana Hotel: 660 North State Street; The Drake: 140 East Walton Place; Longman and Eagle: 2657 North Kedzie Avenue
Ryley Walker Walker gives up wellcrafted floaty acoustic stories of a 24-year-old with a touch of classic psych-folk songwriting to add to the already deep pool of Chicago Americana. Springtime Carnivore Washy pop chanteuse Greta Salpeter offers catchy feels of pop delight flowing about like a beached-out Aimee Mann. Springtime Carnivore offers the sun on even the most grey of Chicago winter days.
Bailiff / Melissa Lin Ellis; Disappears / Zoran Orlic; Lili K / Dakota Harper; Mike Kinsella (Owls, Owen, American Football) / Matthew Kellen; Meat Wave/ Katie Hovland; Ryley Walker / Dusdin Condren; Springtime Carnivore / Eddie O’Keefe; The Life and Times / courtesy of artist; Twin Peaks / Pooneh Ghana
Longman and Eagle / Clayton Hauck
perfect Chicago day Best shawarma
Bailiff: Pita Inn. Disappears: For falafel, Sultan’s is the standby for me, or the place in the back of the jewelry store on Wabash. Lili K: BenjYehuda…mainly because they also have amazing fries. Mike Kinsella: Salam. Ryley Walker: All the shawarma in Albany Park on West Lawrence is consistently great, but I recommend Hala Inn. Springtime Carnivore: Sultan’s Market The Life and Times: I Dream Of Falafel Belmont Avenue Pita Inn: Numerous Locations; Sultan’s Market: 2057 West North Avenue; BenjYehuda: 212 West Van Buren Street; Salam: 4636 North Kedzie Avenue; Hala Inn: 4624 West Lawrence Avenue; I Dream Of Falafel: 851 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago Music Exchange / Megan Chesley
Undiscovered gems
local beer and spirits
Bailiff: Revolution Anti-Hero IPA. Disappears: Letherbee has done no wrong. Few have some good bourbon, and Rhine’s [brandy focused distillery tucked away in the warehouse district] is pretty cool just because they make apple brandy. Half Acre [a bar, brewery, tap room and store all in one] is doing good things and I’m particularly excited for Marz Community Brewing. Meat Wave: Huge fans of Revolution Brewing and Pipeworks [the cult brewery of Chicago], some of the tastiest beer ever. Right now Revolution has this imperial red ale called Red Skull that is insanely tasty and dangerous considering its alcohol content. Mike Kinsella: Revolution Brewery’s Golden Arm, Letherbee’s Besk Ryley Walker: Old Style and Malort Springtime Carnivore: Koval Organic Distillery [Chicago’s first distillery since the mid-1800s] — they make gin, whiskey, other liqueurs. The Life and Times: Three Floyds (Munster IN) [their beers are ranked some of the highest in the world]. Letherbee Distillers, never liked gin before these guys started distilling their own. Heavy lavender and floral notes. Delicious.
Bailiff: The Lakeview YMCA, seriously the best public gym in the city. Disappears: I’m still discovering Bridgeport. Lili K: Gino’s North in Edgewater. It’s this glamorous little bar that has the best deep dish pizza I’ve ever had. Mike Kinsella: You can get the BEST freshbaked loaf of bread EVER at the Devon Market in Rogers Park. Ryley Walker: La Chaparrita. Whipple/25th Street in Little Village. Fantastic milkshakes and tacos. My favorite. Springtime Carnivore: Dusek’s Restaurant in the new Thalia Hall venue in Pilsen is incredible. The Life and Times: Bill’s Hamburgers - Howard and Asbury (Western Ave) in Evanston; Chicken Hut - Belmont and Broadway. Twin Peaks: Jarvis Beach. The Lakeview YMCA: 3333 North Marshfield Avenue; Gino’s North: 1111 West Granville Avenue; Devon Market: 1440 West Devon Avenue; La Chaparrita: 2500 South Whipple Street; Dusek’s: 1227 West 18th Street; Bill’s Drive-In: 120 Asbury Avenue, Evanston; Jarvis Beach: 1208 W Jarvis Avenue
Letherbee / Clayton Hauck Art Institute / Marieke McClendon
Pro Tip: There’s no such thing as a happy hour special. Disappears: I think Happy Hour is illegal in Chicago, but for some day drinking I’d probably go to Big Star. Late afternoon, early evening you could probably find me at Rainbo Club, Lula Café [farm to table and the best brunch in town], or The Charleston.
Mike Kinsella: Sleep through breakfast, eat a High On Fire burger at Kuma’s for lunch [creative burgers, rock n’ roll soundtrack], sneak beers into a movie, nap, eat tortiglioni carbonata at Bella Notte, sneak beers into another movie, drink beers at Rainbo [notorious saloony dive bar always inhabited by an array of characters]. Ryley Walker: Playing music all day with friends, stopping only to roll a doobie or walk the dog. Then go see some live tunes at night and get in on the guest list cause I’m on that broke tip. Springtime Carnivore: My perfect day in Chicago would start with morning coffee at Intelligentsia near the Magnificent Mile and then spending the morning at the Art Institute [museum in Grand Park]. After that, I’d head to Wicker Park for afternoon coffee at Dark Matter and some shopping at Reckless Records, Myopic Books, and Chicago Music Exchange. I’d have dinner at Lula Cafe in Logan Square, then take a hot beverage to go and eat it at the Montrose Pier while watching the moonrise over Lake Michigan. Then maybe a late night show at Improv Olympic [improv theatre]. The Life and Times: Wake leisurely, no shower — long bath, brunch at Lucky Platter in Evanston [breakfast spot with folk-art decor], then early afternoon jam sesh at Electrical Audio [studio owned by Steve Albini] with my bros Buddy Guy on guitar, David William Sims (Jesus Lizard) on bass and Todd Trainer (Shellac) on the kit, all while sampling the finest local fare and pouring Letherbee gin and tonics down our necks, before heading to the beach to take in some rays and then take the boat cruise up the Chicago River straight to Shaw’s Crab House before heading to Second City to do some improv sketch work with the brightest and funniest young stars of tomorrow, before heading to Sable for some late night cocktails, before heading to Violet Hour for later night cocktails, then to the Owl [after-hours joint with a jukebox and and indoor waterfall] to find drugs and striking out then taking the train home to make sweet love to my wife all night ‘til the mornin’ light. Kuma’s Corner: 2900 West Belmont Avenue; Bella Notte: 1374 West Grand Avenue; Rainbo Club: 1150 North Damen Avenue; The Art Institute of Chicago: 111 South Michigan Avenue; Dark Matter Coffee: 738 North Western Avenue; Myopic Books: 1564 North Milwaukee Avenue; Chicago Music Exchange: 3316 North Lincoln Avenue; Improv Olympic: 1501 North Kingsbury Street; Lucky Platter: 514 Main Street, Evanston; Electrical Audio: 2621 West Belmont Avenue; Shaw’s Crab House: 21 East Hubbard Street; Second City: 1616 North Wells Street; Sable: 505 North State Street; The Violet Hour: 1520 North Damen Avenue; The Owl: 2521 North Milwaukee Avenue
Best place to still buy records
Bailiff: Village Records in Roscoe Village [now called Wilbilly’s, same ownership]. Disappears: Reckless or Permanent [stocked with hard-to-find vinyl]. Lili K: Audio Archaeology is a gem we stumbled across walking around our neighborhood one day and it’s pretty awesome. They have a really neat collection of record players and a lot of rare, special-edition vinyl. Meat Wave: Saki is a relatively new store in our neighborhood. My favorite thing about Saki is on top of having a great selection of records they have free shows all the time. You can bring beer, shop for records and watch a band — a fucking incredible feeling! Really nice people, too. Mike Kinsella: There’s actually a ton of record stores to still buy records at. Reckless Records is great. Saki is great. Laurie’s Planet of Sound is great. Ryley Walker: Permanent or Dusty Groove. Springtime Carnivore: Reckless Records. The Life and Times: Reckless Records. Twin Peaks: There’s a couple good stores in the city, I like Reckless Records cause I stop by there the most and usually find some good shit. I’ve been hearing Bric- a-Brac [one part record shop, one part retro toy and collectibles mayhem] is sweet and they put on some good shows, too. Village Records: 2010 West Roscoe Street; Reckless Records: Numerous Locations; Permanent Records: 1914 West Chicago Avenue; Audio Archaeology: 1324 West Devon Avenue; Saki: 3716 West Fullerton Avenue; Dusty Groove: 1120 North Ashland Avenue; Laurie’s Planet of Sound: 4639 North Lincoln Avenue; Bric-a-Brac: 3156 West Diversey Avenue
Big Star: 1531 North Damen Avenue; Rainbo Club: 1150 North Damen Avenue; Lula Cafe: 2537 North Kedzie Avenue; The Charleston: 2076 North Hoyne Avenue
CULTURE COLLIDE . 35
CITY guide
san francisco california
Once the American hotbed for artistic freedom and bohemian politics, San Francisco is now the most expensive city in the US, for the most part due to its booming tech industry. Despite Twitter and Facebook being neighbors and Google buses rolling the streets of The Mission, the City by the Bay is still undeniably churning out some of the coolest bands, artists, and culinary experiments. Perhaps it’s the smorgasbord of techies and creatives that makes the city so special. At the end of the day look past all the new industry and marvel at some of the prettiest 7x7 square miles in the country.
Geographer Formed in 2007 by Michael Deni, Geographer takes you on a dream pop journey verging on a cinematic experience with their layered electro soundscapes and indie rock songwriting. Ghost Modern arrives March 24.
Sonny and the Sunsets Psych-pop band Sonny and the Sunsets hail from the west coast drawing upon the beach rock tradition with their use of playful lyrics, found sounds, and lo fi production. Their latest album, Talent Night At The Ashram, is out now on Polyvinyl.
GRMLN Yoodoo Park AKA GRMLN has come a long way from his chill and clean sounding 2010 EP Explore. 2014’s Soon Away has taken a turn towards a post-punk vibe with a more aggressive and catchy sound than any of his previous releases.
Andrew St. James Singer/songwriter Andrew St. James embodies the millennial voice, drawing on his memories and observations of the biggest political moments of the last decade and a half. His debut album Doldrums was released in January 2014.
Erase Errata It’s been almost a decade since Erase Errata put out their last album, but the post-punk band is back with a vengeance. Their latest release Lost Weekend still holds on to that riot grrrl tradition but the overall feel is mellower and more deliberate.
36 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Best Music Venue Giraffage Giraffage is the stage name of electronic musician and producer Charlie Yin. Yin gained significant attention for his popular remixes of various R&B tracks and collaborations with artists such as XXYYXX. In May 2011, he released an EP Pretty Things followed by debut album Comfort. His latest EP No Reason is out now. Hidden in the Sun Although the latest album from this five-piece band is rooted in Americana tradition, it’s pretty clear that the band has an eclectic taste. From blues to electronic and rock, Hidden in the Sun weaves genres and styles together with a strong emotional thread. Their fulllength debut album Seven Seasons was released in January 2015.
James Vernon Member and producer of band Li Xi, James Vernon has gone solo to create a beautiful and lush sound with his latest electro psych pop album Owatonna, released October 2014.
Painted Palms It wouldn’t be totally accurate to describe indie pop duo Painted Palms, as purely San Francisco based. The two cousins spent the start of their collaboration across the country from each other, sending bits and pieces of material via email. Perhaps their genre-spanning psychedelic collage of a sound is rooted in the early stages of collaboration. Their debut EP Forever was released in January 2014.
Vetiver Formed in 2002, American folk band Vetiver released their debut album in 2004 and has since then toured extensively with the likes of Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, and Fleet Foxes. Vetiver’s sixth album Complete Strangers arrives late March.
Andrew St. James: Either The Great American Music Hall or Bottom Of The Hill. Totally different vibes but both are great. The smaller venues I'm excited about are the re-opened Lost Church on Capp St. & the newly re-done Doc Ricketts (previously the Purple Onion) in North Beach. Rad spots all around. Erase Errata: The Chapel [former church with 40-foot arched ceiling] Geographer: That's hard to pick! But my favorite is probably The Rickshaw Stop. Maybe because most of my big landmark shows were there when Geographer was starting out, but also because it just hits the nail on the head. Giraffage: The Independent is cool and sounds very nice. GRMLN: I personally like The Chapel the best out of all of the SF venues. The sound is great but as a musician, whenever we played there, the management was really nice and looked out a lot for the bands. Hidden in the Sun: Great American Music Hall James Vernon: Right now I love seeing shows at The Chapel. But you can't go wrong checking out a show at the Rickshaw, Bottom of the Hill, Great American Music Hall, or heading out to Oakland to hit up The Night Light [cozy dancehall with old-fashioned furnishings]. Painted Palms: The Independent is one of the best venue's we've been to in the country. Vacation [vintage clothing store in Tenderloin] puts on amazing basement shows. Sonny and the Sunsets: The Night Light Vetiver: Great American Music Hall and The Chapel.
Great American Music Hall: 859 O'Farrell St; Bottom of the Hill: 1233 17th St.; Lost Church: 65 Capp St.; Doc Ricketts: 124 Columbus Ave; The Chapel: 777 Valencia St; The Rickshaw Stop: 155 Fell St; The Independent: 628 Divisadero St; The Night Light: 311 Broadway, Oakland; Vacation: 651 Larkin St
Andrew St. James / Emma Schacter; Erase Errata / Luiza Sá Davis; Geographer / courtesy of artist; Giraffage / courtesy of artist; GRMLN / courtesy of artist; Hidden in the Sun / Scott Rouse; James Vernon / courtesy of artist; Painted Palms / Molly DeCoudreaux; Sonny and the Sunsets / Alice Shaw; Vetiver / Alissa Anderson
Dolores Park / Jeff Wolfe
THE PERFECT SAN FRANCISCO DAY
UNDISCOVERED GEMS
Elbo Room / Julie Leopo
BEST DIVE BARS
Andrew St. James: The Bayview Boat Club. Used to play jazz sets there. Or perhaps The Riptide on 42nd and Taraval — right at the beach, super shanty like. Erase Errata: Martuni’s (piano bar). Geographer: Amnesia. It’s like walking into your living room and saying, “who invited all these people?” Giraffage: Trad’r Sam has nice cheap drinks and cool tiki vibes. GRMLN: I kind of recently just turned 21 so haven’t had my fair share of the bar scene. But I personally have been to drink at the Elbo Room, which also has a really cool venue upstairs. We’ve only played a show at the Elbo Room once but the downstairs bar is definitely worth checking out. Hidden in the Sun: Hotel Utah. James Vernon: Uptown in the Mission on 17th and Capp. Phone Booth is another great dive. Both places have a great jukebox. Painted Palms: Waziema is an Ethiopian Restaurant by day and (dive?) bar by night. The wall paper is weird and fuzzy. Phonebooth isn’t bad either, great jukebox Vetiver: Rock Bar, although it’s not really that divey.
Andrew St. James: There is this late night Crepe Truck called Crepes A Go Go that stays in this parking lot right across the street from Slims, on 11th between Folsom and Harrison. Great late night cheap crepes. I always meet new people there. Erase Errata: The Royal Cuckoo Market and Lost Weekend Cinecave Comedy Club. Geographer: People don’t seem to talk about the Presidio very much, even though it’s known. But I don’t think people realize how back-woodsy it is, how secluded, how completely non-urban and peaceful it is. Golden Gate Park is the Ryan Gosling to the Presidio’s Jake Gyllenhaal. GRMLN: All the small restaurants in the city like J & E (which is a really good Chinese place that has a really cheap menu for a ton of food). Hidden in the Sun: RobotSpeak, a vintage music equipment store on Haight Street. James Vernon: I wish I was cool enough to give a totally undiscovered gem. To the synth nerds out there, check out Robotspeak. Painted Palms: There’s some abandoned green houses by Ocean Beach that have grown over at this point. They’re dilapidated buildings, but if you can sneak in past the security guards, it’s an amazing urban ruin. Vetiver: The quiet birdsong of El Polín Spring. The Royal Cuckoo Market: 3368 19th Street; Crepes A Go Go: 350 11th St; Lost Weekend Video & The Cinecave: 1034 Valencia St; J & E: 2537 24th Street; RobotSpeak: 589 and one Half Haight Street; El Polín Spring: MacArthur Ave
The Bayview Boat Club: 489 Terry A Francois Boulevard; Rock Bar: 80 29th Street; Martuni’s: 4 Valencia St; The Riptide: 3639 Taraval St; Amnesia: 853 Valencia Street; Trad’r Sam: 6150 Geary Boulevard; Elbo Room: 647 Valencia Street; Hotel Utah: 500 4th St; Uptown: 200 Capp Street; Phone Booth: 1398 South Van Ness Avenue; Waziema: 543 Divisadero Street
SHOPPING
Andrew St. James: If you like socks, Stop by Sockshop Haight Street on Haight between Cole & Shrader. Erase Errata: Gravel and Gold, The Mill, Pretty Penny, NO shop, Vacation, The General Store, Foggy Notion. Geographer: My favorite shop is Painted Bird. Very well curated, gentle and inviting little place in the Mission. Stone Pony is a gem too, much wilder style there. You shouldn’t talk to me about shoes. I spent 3 years trying to find a suitable replacement for my hiking boots I’ve been wearing since 1999. Hidden in the Sun: Ambiance, P-Kok, Crossroads Trading James Vernon: Wonderland SF. They’re huge on promoting local artists and designers. Painted Palms: Vacation and Painted Bird are my favorite. A lot of the time you end up buying clothes your friends sold to them. Sonny and the Sunsets: La Library, a mobile clothing library system. Vetiver: Gimme Shoes to tempt me. Mollusk for daily essentials.
Geographer: I recently discovered you can take a sailboat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge for about $40. You have to go to Fisherman’s Wharf to do it, but it’s worth it once you get on the water. The boat is a catamaran with netting over the water, and they also carry guava juice and beer, so I can make my favorite cocktail, which is 3/4 Guava juice and 1/4 light beer. You get views of the city from the bay, you go by Alcatraz, Angel Island, and under the Golden Gate Bridge, and you’re back in time to have dinner at my favorite restaurant, Mission Chinese (2234 Mission St.). After that, your mouth aflame from the Szechuan peppercorn, you might cap the whole day off by driving up to Twin Peaks and enjoying the view, looking down Market Street toward the Bay Bridge and off to Oakland, if you’re lucky and the fog hasn’t rolled in, as the lights are turning on in that perfect time where the sky hovers between blue and black. Giraffage: Wake up, make music, order some delivery food, make more music, cuddle with cat. GRMLN: Dolores Park is probably the most enjoyable place to visit on a nice sunny day in SF. Hidden in the Sun: A stroll through the Golden Gate Park, band practice in SOMA, a beer at the Hotel Utah, and some thrifting in the mission. Painted Palms: I think I had the perfect San Francisco day yesterday. I woke up early and grabbed some Four Barrel Coffee (multiple locations) on the way to Marin. My friends and I hiked along the ocean cliffs for a few miles til we wound up at a mountain lake that had a rope swing. We swam for a few hours then came back to the city in time to meet friends and BBQ in Precita Park, then went out to a few bars in that neighborhood. Sonny and the Sunsets: Doing something in the East Bay.
RECOMMENDED HOTEL
Andrew St. James: Avoid staying Fisherman’s Warf for sure. Geographer: In San Francisco, I think you have more of a sense of what hotels not to recommend to people. Every time I see tourists walking through the Tenderloin I want to pick them up and drive them to where they need to go. Union Square is okay, but it’s really just where we go to buy new clothes or see a blockbuster. Stay in Diamond Heights or Potrero at an AirBnB, somewhere with a view that’s probably cheaper. GRMLN: To be honest, if you are traveling from a different country or even in general, the best place to stay would probably be USA Hostels. My friends work there and it’s a super fun vibe since they go on Pub Crawls on certain days and it also has a really communal atmosphere and energy. James Vernon: Go to the St. Francis and ask for the Fatty Arbuckle suite. [Or not. The most requested room was the site of a harrowing 1921 scandal involving the silent movie star.] Painted Palms: Phoenix Hotel in the TL has a nice setup, it’s always a good time. Vetiver: The Inn San Francisco. The Inn San Francisco, 943 South Van Ness Avenue; Phoenix Hotel: 601 Eddy St
Behind These Walls: phoenix hotel
Rock ‘n’ Roll Stories from SF’s famed crash pad Vincent Gallo discovered a painted canvas shrine outside his room one morning, apparently left behind by a fan also staying at the hotel as a gift to him. His shrine remains on property to this day. Green Day drummer and local legend Tre Cool made a splash at a summer day party by launching a bicycle into the Phoenix Hotel pool. Sean Lennon and Dinosaur Jr. once connected for an impromptu jam session in the Phoenix Hotel courtyard after they got back from their ‘official’ shows. Odd request: The tour manager of Girls asked a front desk agent where the band could order ‘Lobster Bisque’ for delivery.
Sockshop Haight Street: 1742 Haight Street; Gravel and Gold: 3266 21st Street; The Mill: 736 Divisadero Street; Pretty Penny: 1201A Guerrero Street; NO shop: 389 Valencia Street; The General Store: 4035 Judah Street; Foggy Notion: 275 6th Avenue; Ver Unica: 526 Hayes Street; Held Over: 1543 Haight Street; Old Vogue: 1412 Grant Avenue; Wasteland: 1660 Haight Street; All Saints: 140 Geary Street; Decades of Fashion: 1653 Haight Street; Crossroads: 2123 Market Street,1901 Fillmore Street, & 630 Irving Street; Painted Bird: 1360 Valencia Street; Stone Pony: 3552 20th Street; Ambiance: 1458 Haight Street, 1864 Union Street, & 3979 24th Street; P-Kok: 1445 Haight Street; Wonderland SF: 1266 Valencia Street; La Library: 380 Guerrero S; Gimme Shoes: 416 Hayes Street; Mollusk: 4500 Irving Street Golden Gate Bridge / David Iskra
COLLIDE . 37 Phoenix Hotel / courtesy of Joie DeCULTURE Vivre Hotels
TOUR DIARY
PAINT THE TOWN RED
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY PAINTED PALMS
Painted Palms are San Francisco duo and cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme. Their psych-pop album Forever took them to their bucket list destination: Japan. They share the view from the land of the rising sun.
38 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Hangin’ in the van with our amazing guides from Moor Works.
This is a very old Shinto shrine on the island of Miyajima. When the tide comes in, it looks like it’s just floating on the water.
W
hen we released Forever at the beginning of 2014, one of our goals for the record
(something that we felt was a little far-fetched) was to be able to tour Japan. When we were offered a tour there it kind of made our year. We went to nine cities and our experiences ranged from home-cooked meals from Japanese grandmothers to a week’s worth of being completely dazed, watching the sun rise in Tokyo. We saw really old temples with minimalist architecture during the daytime and cities with crazy, psychedelic sprawls of rotating lights and advertising at night. It was the most beautiful, dreamlike thing.
We ate the best sushi we’ve ever had at the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. culture collide . 39
“
We went to nine cities and our experiences ranged from home-cooked meals from Japanese grandmothers to a week’s worth of being completely dazed, watching the sun rise in Tokyo.
Our friend Masayo holding a robot at a robot museum in Tokyo. It’s hard to tell in this picture, but this robot had an eerily human presence when you looked into its eyes.
A beautiful field in Kyoto.
A band that we played with in Hiroshima. Really good people.
Tokyo Camouflage
culture collide . 41
42 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Reese’s favorite hat that he found in a Japanese clothing store/art gallery.
A giant bamboo forest that we wandered around during our day in Kyoto. culture collide . 43
TOUR DIARY
THE FAT WHITES ARE ALRIGHT FAT WHITE FAMILY IN AMERICA BY STEPHANIE ALMAZAN PHOTOS BY SHAUN REGAN TOUR PHOTOS BY JUSTIN MAURER
44 . collIDE
KGB Bar, NYC. standing L-R: Saul, Adam; seated L-R: Jack, Nathan, Joseph; front: Lias.
What’s in a name? Not much in the case of the UK’s Fat White Family. I get the feeling that they chose their name because they needed one, then went back to making good music. That’s because I’ve seen a bunch of their shows, spent time with their album Champagne Holocaust, learned they started their own label Without Consent, and got to meet them on several occasions while they were in New York this past winter. My intro to the band, now signed to Fat Possum Records, was an acoustic video they did at South by Southwest. The Fat Whites amount to six guys (Lias Saoudi, Saul Adamczewski, Nathan Saoudi, Adam Harmer, Joseph Pancucci, and Jack Everett), but this performance was just Lias, shrouded in layers and sunglasses, and Saul strumming a guitar. Though the set was stripped down, I could sense a devil may care attitude underneath those shades. Seeing them in full band mode was on another level altogether. By then people were referring to them as the “naked band” so I knew it would be wild. But yeah, their sets are crazy, as in crazy good. Lias, who drifts off into his own dreamland, has a way of mesmerizing crowds. He’s simply so into singing his song that stripping away his clothing and fondling himself has become just a part of this transformative thing he goes into on stage. So when it came time to meet these guys, part of me was not sure if they would be dicks or what. They had to be aware of the response they’d been getting — that could certainly go to one’s head, right? Some dude in leather pants even got up on stage to do a little strip tease himself, as if summoned by Lias. As it turns out, the Fat Whites are all right. After a brief meeting before their sold out Baby’s All Right show in Brooklyn, we made plans to shoot the shit at their favorite NYC watering hole, KGB Bar. And then things got personal. COLLIDE . 45
Tell us about your tour in the US. Lias: We came here the first time for South By in March, then we did like a little tour in the middle of the country, through the Midwest, Omaha, Minneapolis, Chicago. It was our first time in America, yeah. It was cool, really strange you know, really long drives. Kansas was pretty weird not much out there, not a lot in Kansas. What did you do for fun in those situations? Listen to music on the radio, you know, have a smoke, chat, not much you can do really, look out the window. We were listening to Can, when we were going through y’know all them like prairies, it would be just endless yellow, really stoned listening to Can. It was like being on the moon, maybe not the moon, Mars maybe, it was really alien, really strange. Did you see any aliens? Pass through Roswell? No, we got pulled over by the cops, by some good cops, and they let us off, even though we were going about 100 miles per hour. That was in the Midwest somewhere, we stank of weed as well. Aye, here we go, we’re gonna get fucked. We met a fantastic cop, we didn’t meet any aliens. 46 . collIDE
How did you feel about South By? It was our first time in America, and we had to raise all the money ourselves to do it. It was kind of intense. It was really fun in lots of ways. You had to do 3 shows in a day, it’s a little bit intense. Lots of industry people — not really like one for the punters that festival, showcase, is it a festival? what do you call it, South By? More of an industry hoedown, yeah. We were just trying to work out a deal over there I guess. I enjoyed it it was all a novelty I’d never been to Texas. Yeah, Austin’s cool. Yeah it was fun, man. Although things don’t stay open late enough. Everything shuts at 2. Yeah, here bars stay open until 4 so that’s nice. You can pretty much keep drinking for as long as your body can take it in New York. You guys did some recording here in New York, do you count it as your favorite city? Yeah, I love New York, New York is great. It’s more fun than London in lots of ways, it’s kind of compact, you know, there’s a lot more going on in a smaller space. Whereas in London, it takes you forever to get from one end to the other, you know. How do you travel in London? You don’t travel by cab because it’s too expensive, so you have to go on the bus, the tube closes at midnight, so you can’t get
Tour / Justin Maurer
back home from wherever it is you’ve been drinking. We’re here in KGB Bar, how did you find this bar? Interior is great, I’ve never been in a place quite the same as this... a collection of Soviet paraphernalia unmatched by any drinking den. It’s a nice place to get wrecked. We came here the first night we were in New York, after our show in Pianos, somebody brought us in here, can’t remember who, we’ve been coming here ever since.
...we got pulled over by the cops, by some good cops, and they let us off, even though we were going about 100 miles per hour. COLLIDE . 47
What’s your drink when you come here? White Russian Is it just because of KGB Bar? Yeah, pretty much. Kind of ridiculous. So we were at Baby’s All Right when that guy came up on stage [and stripped down to leather chaps, gyrating to “Touch the Leather”]. Did you know that was going to happen? No, I didn’t. He’s a really well known artist, Douglas Gordon his name is. Somebody told me he was gonna be coming to the gig, but I’d never met him before until after the show, and he’s a big fan, and talking about doing some work together and stuff. That was quite exciting for him to join us. I think that took some guts, mmhmm he’s obviously watched that video [“Touch the Leather”] Everyone takes turns?
Here you got the deli culture and the pizza slices so you
Yeah.
can kinda get by on about ten dollars, if you have to.
Who’s always late?
Did you try New York bagels?
Adam [pointing at Adam] this guy here, he's late for
I’m not really a big fan of bagels. I used to live near a
What’s the craziest thing the ladies have done?
everything. [Adam gives Lias a look] She asked who was
bagel shop on Brick Lane in London so I used to eat
We had some girls get really into it in Glasgow. In
late all the time. I gave her the truth man. He's a very
‘em for breakfast, dinner, and lunch for about two
Glasgow, they get particularly…they like to open
good guitar player, just he's late all the time.
years, so after that I’m done with bagels. There’s no
a few too many times, but yeah nice guy. Does stuff like that happen at your shows? Sometimes, yeah.
themselves up. You know, and really experience the music. We’ll leave it at that I think (laugh).
bagel out there… Who’s the first to be ready? Me, of course
Tell me about the group dynamic. Who’s the
Was there a city that gave you the best response? Of all of them the one that was the biggest surprise that
mother hen?
You mentioned the other day that you were recording
we did, I guess, was Omaha. Omaha was really great.
Usually our tour manager, Pete, but he’s not here now
at two different studios [in Upstate New York]. Does
Some kids put on the show there and got in touch with
so we’re always kind of late for everything, losing our
that affect the way you guys recorded?
us privately or whatever and we did it on our first trip
shit all the time... It would be whoever is kind of the
Yeah, we went from a kind of country pile to a shack in
there. It was really cool,
most together at any given time.
the country and then back again. Do it yourself shows are always great. So Yoko’s [Ono] was the nice place?
It was kind of how we started back in the UK, that kind
Yeah, that was the nice place and the other place was
of vibe, just like a warehouse kind of space. After driving
kind of like not enough beds, no heaters, no shop,
through Kansas and Nebraska we really didn’t expect
nothing to eat, it was just like two extremes. One
that. it was like a 14 hour drive as well, it was nice to get
extreme to the other, I guess it affected it, I’m not really
a good crowd and good response and stuff.
sure how, you just get on with it.. You must fly a lot. Does anyone get nervous on flights? Was Yoko there?
Nathan, Saul, and Jack are always shitting themselves
She wasnt there, we were just there with Sean [Lennon].
on flights. And we usually get the cheapest ones which
He was helping us with the record. Nice studio. Really
are at about 6 in the morning, so it’s usually quite
isolated, nothing around there, and it was so cold we
agonizing anyway.
weren’t out and about so much. They sit together; they have their own row and they Was that the point of going there to record? Yeah, so there was no distractions. You’re in NYC so I have to ask about New York pizza? How do you feel about it? I think it’s very good. You can survive on slices of pizza here don’t you? For the less well off gentleman it’s easier than London. London you can’t get anything good and cheap. 48 . collIDE
sweat it out….
Opposite page: Tour / Justin Maurer; KGB Bar / Shaun Regan
“it was our first time in america, yeah. it was cool.”
Baby’s All Right Brooklyn December 13, 2014 / Shaun Regan
COLLIDE . 49
TWIN SHADOW vs. THE ISLAND 50 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
BY RACHAEL ROTH PHOTOS BY PIPER FERGUSON HAWAII PHOTOS BY TWIN SHADOW CULTURE COLLIDE . 51
“It was an eight-mile hike that we thought
“In an eclipse, the moon, which is so insignificant in size compared
was going to be one mile. We really thought it was going to be a
with both the Earth and the sun actually can block out the sun,”
cinch,” recounts George Lewis Jr., or Twin Shadow as he’s known
Lewis says, explaining what the title of album evokes for him. “And
onstage, as he goes through photos from his band’s December trip
just the feeling — the kind of color that happens when an eclipse
to Honolulu where they played at The Republik. He pauses to take
happens — and the feeling that’s created when an eclipse happens,
a bite of breakfast: yogurt, granola, and fruit. “This is the beginning
this kind of supernatural thing that bathes wherever you can see it,
of the path, which looks so tame. And it just got thicker and thicker
wherever you are, wherever there is still light from it…”
and thicker. I was wearing a pair of Jack Purcell’s, pure white. And every time I went up the mountain some experienced hiker would
Eclipse is a creative shift for Twin Shadow. Take for instance the
be like, ‘Those aren’t meant for hiking. You do realize those are
video for “Slow” off his debut album. The song, though hauntingly
going to be covered in mud.’ So I kept taking pictures to see how
catchy, pushes the listener away. Its message is dark: “I don’t want to
clean I could keep them.”
believe or be in love” Lewis repeats, over and over until the line means nothing and everything at once. The video is even more off-putting,
When I meet Lewis at the Ace Hotel’s open-air rooftop bar in
beginning with an awkward interview that leads to an intentionally
Downtown Los Angeles, he’s wearing his signature grey knit
stilted drum performance and decidedly overexposed visuals. The
beanie and leather motorcycle jacket and has a faint trace
camera zooms in on the sweat forming on Lewis’s upper lip, and pans
of sleep in the corner of one eye. He’s recovering from a get-
aimlessly across a dim room with a low hanging, stained-glass lamp.
together held at his house the night before, which ran late, and
Flash forward to 2015: “Turn Me Up”, the first single Lewis released
though he hasn’t been a big coffee drinker in the past few years
off Eclipse is much more polished, aesthetically and musically, while
he orders one emphatically.
showcasing Lewis’s authentic voice. His lyrics, though they’ve historically been honest, seem more genuine. They belong to someone who
Despite his just rolled out of bed but I still look like a rockstar
has given in and believed in love, for better or worse.
look, he won’t strike you as a partier. Through a baritone softspokeness and honest smile, he emanates a very relatable warmth,
But whatever Lewis does, he maintains a steady following: His fans
a perceived ease with the outside world to which he is extremely
are not casual admirers; they are enamored of him, packing in for
attuned. The latter is made clear through his intentional lyricism
shows and DJ-sets worldwide, awaiting the next move in the avant-
and his ability to draw inspiration from his surroundings.
garde spectacle that is his creative life. Working to shed his ego and surround himself with positivity in his new dwellings in Downtown
“A lot of my lyrics, if they take place during [any specific] time, it’s
Los Angeles has also informed this change. Settling down in one
usually those weird hours before sunset, before sunrise, you know,
place sort of goes against his dust devil M.O., though.
the really early, kind of just before dark moments. I think that’s always been a trait of my music.” And though he never plans to write an album ahead of time, basing his music instead on day to day experiences, he’s gathered enough musings to complete his third LP in five years, the end of what he considers a kind of trilogy. Beginning with 2010’s Forget, followed two years later by Confess, his March 17 release Eclipse which will complete the series, is laden with meaning, based both on life experiences and his general astuteness.
George of the jungle
52 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
CULTURE COLLIDE . 53
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Hawaii has the best sushi I’ve ever had; Bob Ross trees; Trying to shoot this damn Geico commercial ; Surf board picket fence on the North Shore
54 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
“A lot of my lyrics, if they take place during any specific time, it’s usually those weird hours before sunset, before sunrise, you know, the really early, kind of just before dark moments. I think that’s always been a trait of my music.”
“The nature of being in a band that’s on tour, and flying all over the place all the time, you have this weird connection to a new place that you’ve moved to, where you’re never there long enough to get acclimated,” he explains. “And every time you come back it feels like you’re in a new city. Your relationships don’t necessarily get far enough, don’t get deep enough to make you feel like you’ve actually been someplace for a long time. So everything has this constant newness to it. I write about that on the album a lot; the duality of knowing a lot of people but never getting far enough in a relationship to actually know them well.” Two years since moving to Los Angeles, Lewis has tried to find himself here, or more accurately, get lost here. “There’re so many places to get lost in the city,” he says. “When I first moved to LA I bought this vintage motorcycle and this vintage car that I always wanted, and so a lot of my time was spent taking really beautiful drives at night. Some of my favorite [times] were sneaking into the Griffith Observatory on my motorcycle because you can just jump this little median and ride up the sidewalk and get in there, and there’s usually never people up there. [“I’m Ready”] has a lot to do with actually driving to these peaks in LA and looking over the city, and trying to take it in from that perspective.” While his time spent perched on top of the world provided lyrical fodder, Lewis sought somewhere quieter to actually make the album, and would drive to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and hole up in a small chapel on the cemetery grounds. “I just started working on the album night by night. That really is hands-down the most undisturbed place in Los Angeles. ” If that sounds like something that would freak a person out, even a dedicated artist with all their eccentricities, it did. “It actually got the best of me in a way. You know, I’m not an incredibly superstitious person, but when you’re in a place long enough, you understand the weight of it. It’s an active cemetery, so I would see funeral services in the morning, and that was starting to trip me out a little bit.”
CULTURE COLLIDE . 55
Circumventing the commercial epicenter of a city seems to be a trend in Lewis’s life, even as he travels. Enter his recent trip to Waikiki: “At first I was really depressed [to be there]. I was like, ‘What is this place?’ Waikiki really does feel like this sort of sad, really clean mini mall. It’s just mall after mall after mall.” That’s why he and his cohorts decided to venture beyond the “obnoxiously clean” parts of the islands. “We set out to try to see as little hotels and cafes as possible and to really go to see some nature. Once we got out to these places, I started to feel that there was a sense of native people.” But straying from the path wasn’t without its challenges. “Right underneath this towering mountain there was this tiny little broken down and poor town, Kahuku, and it was amazing. We didn’t see a single soul, we [only] saw all these mean dogs, running up and down the street. All of the dogs in the neighborhood just ganged [up on us]. There were like 20 of them all chasing our car, with me driving slow trying not to run them over. They literally ran us out of town in our car.” But he tells the story with a laugh, just like when he describes not being let into a bar by huge, intimidating bouncers because of his short-shorts and leather jacket combo, of facing 18’ waves — what he describes as a wall of water — when they pulled off at the island’s North Shore, or of his friend almost breaking his arm during that strenuous, eight-mile hike through a muddy jungle in Kaliuwa‘a. “He swang from a tree like Tarzan — and the branch broke, of course. “Finally we reached this waterfall after two hours of hiking, and of course, it was underwhelming,” he admits, laughing, though he’s not at all disappointed. “We swam in the swimming hole. This family came with their dog and they all were super courageous. They just started cliff jumping into the river, which was really shallow. The mud was insane.” As for the Jack Purcell’s, “They just got destroyed.” You’d think because of his supreme sense of style, a pair of muddy white shoes might upset him. But Lewis is
THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: North shore ruins; Jungle mud; Cock; Sketchy rocks= No Swimming
not a man who fights against nature. “We bagged up everything that was dirty. We basically rode back to Waikiki buck naked,” he says, and the photo is suddenly illuminated with the warmth of that day back in December. And then, not as a lamentation but rather the ending to a good story: “We had no clothes, I had no shoes.”
56 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: Kaneohe bay; Surfers in the bae
CULTURE COLLIDE . 57
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Beach mobile 1; Beach mobile 2; Sacred Falls State Park; Jungle book; Rear view cam
58 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
“The nature of being in a band that’s on tour, and just kind of flying all over the place all the time, you kind of have this weird connection to a new place that you’ve moved to, where you’re never there long enough to get acclimated”
CULTURE COLLIDE . 59
WHERE TO STAY
SHORELINE WAIKIKI 342 Seaside Avenue, Honolulu, Hawaii
HAWAII TEXT BY STEPHANIE ALMAZAN When you think of Waikiki lodging, sprawling luxury hotels usually come to mind such as The Royal Hawaiian and The Halekulani. But our strategy for Waikiki Beach is to avoid the pricey Kalakaua strip and opt instead for a Miami-style boutique hotel with charm. Shoreline Waikiki is located just one block away from the beachfront. The hotel has an interesting history — it was formerly owned by United Airlines and served as private hotel lodging for its employees. The Joie De Vivre group (also partners with Thompson Hotels) bought the hotel in 2012 and completed a full renovation in May of 2013. The result is clean, minimal rooms with wooden touches and beach-inspired artwork. Each room has its own small lanai (balcony) and free Wi-Fi. The small, 14th-floor rooftop pool overlooks other city buildings (not the best of views), but in the distance you can see The Royal Hawaiian, i.e. the “pink hotel” to locals. Think Los Angeles apartment complex rooftop pool. The lobby’s high ceilings and airy setup are welcoming; the staff is friendly and helpful — the info board is updated daily with things to do. Pineappleinfused tea, cucumber water, apples, and coffee await guests. A bike rental service is also offered for a fee. Another notable addition is Heavenly restaurant next door, which opened September 2014. The new restaurant concept from the Aloha Table Group features healthier versions of local fare (sorry, Rainbow Diner) using local and organic ingredients sourced from nearby farms in Waianae, Waimanalo, and Kahuku.
Park it outdoors or take a seat inside the airy open restaurant for acai bowls, organic veggie and beans loco moco (above), farm-fresh omelets, quinoa mac-n-cheese, and more. Fresh juices, smoothies, and organic wines quench your thirst. One more tip: All Oahu beaches are open to the public. That means you can hit the pink hotel for the best piña coladas in town and then park yourself on their sandy real estate and work on your tan. Minus the pricey room rate.
Good for: singles, young couples Value: affordable option to the pricey strip Service: excellent, friendly staff Location: central, walking distance to beach and shops Vibe: hip, in the heart of the hustle and bustle, city living
60 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Local Farm Eggs Flat Omelette / Shaun Regan; Shoreline Waikiki courtesy of Shoreline Waikiki; Organic Veggie and Beans Loco Moco / Shaun Regan; Heavenly / Shaun Regan
Photography: Shaun Regan
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The property’s Banyan Tree made cameos in Lost; spot 100-year-old turtles at the North Shore; Turtle Bay Resort.
Turtle Bay Resort
57-091 Kamehameha Highway Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii
Here’s why Turtle Bay won us over. Aside from ocean views from every guestroom (410 to be exact) and 42 beach cottages, there are 5 miles of beach and 12 miles of hiking and biking trails. Wander down one of these paths and stumble upon massive banyan trees, whose roots grow from the top down. Or let your horse do the trotting. The stable is home to former racehorses in semi-retirement. Our riding instructor told us horses alternate one day on and one day off to do what they please. There’s also plenty of exploring to do outside the property. Before you head out, stop by the resort shop for surf gear and GoPro products and
Though some may dismiss Oahu as a jumping point to Maui and the Big Island, locals and insiders know that Oahu’s North Shore is a slice of island heaven. Locals escape the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and Honolulu for the relaxed beach vibe of the northern coastline. Here, there is only one (sprawling, 840-acre) resort, Turtle Bay. The property has made cameos in a myriad of films and TV shows, from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Lost, to Pirates of the Caribbean IV and Catching Fire. We skeptic mainlanders had seen most of these films and were worried they were all camera tricks. And why not just use AirBnB and stay at a beachfront home? We tried both.
accessories. You’ll need it when you spot 100-yearold turtles feeding on algae. And when you’re all done, the tranquil Nalu Kinetic
Good for: families, couples, Oregon State football team (we ran into the orange-clad boys before their game against University of Hawaii) Location: remote and secluded, but conveniently located on the main highway
where you can listen to the waves crash against the
Value: their prices were less than what you would pay for a Waikiki beachfront hotel
shore, and open-air garden view massage cabanas.
Service: excellent, friendly staff
The resort also gets points for its green practices:
Vibe: relaxing, casual luxury
Spa awaits. There’s an outdoor relaxation area
they recently became the first Oahu resort with a solar roof installation. CULTURE COLLIDE . 61
WHAT TO DO
Your Ticket to the
Real Paradise HONOLULU ACCORDING TO HUNGRY EAR RECORDS
Favorite neighborhood: Kaimuki is a great up-and-coming neighborhood. It’s just five minutes from Waikiki but it still retains a lot of its “neighborhood” quality. It’s a definitely OldMeets-New kind of place, where there will be a new restaurant by a chef/entrepreneur next to a shoe repair shop that’s been there for 50 years. There are a couple of wellOwners Dennie Chong and Ward Yamashita/ Hungry Ear Records
stocked liquor stores in the area and a lot of nice small places to get coffee. Coffee:
The Aloha State is breathtaking and romantic, each night preceded by a
The Curb in Kaimuki
Hawaiian sunset.
But paradise isn’t just for honeymooners, Hawaiian shirt-clad balding men
First record ever bought:
Undiscovered gem:
with cash to burn, and tourists. There’s a cool local scene with plenty of hidden
The first record I ever bought was a
Kaiona Beach Park AKA the Waimanalo
gems you won’t find in any guide book.
7” single of “Take a Letter Maria” by
fish pond, which is located adjacent to the
R.B. Greaves from Woolworth’s in the
Magnum PI house. Very calm at low tide and
(2615 South King Street, Suite A-100, Honolulu), Ward Yamashita. While you
Kahala Mall Shopping Center in 1969.
the water is super clean.
can get your fill of island reggae on every corner, the Honolulu shop — which
(I still have it, too!)
Who better to break it down for us than co-owner of Hungry Ear Records
relocated in August after 35 years in Kailua and is Hawaii’s oldest record store
Favorite landmark:
— is the place to go (Eddie Vedder has popped in) for the largest collection
Favorite record find of all time:
of new vinyl in the state. We spied recent releases like Tom Petty’s Hypnotic
One day about 10 years ago, I bought
Eye and Jenny Lewis’ The Voyager on the shelves. The used vinyl selection is
the second Velvet Underground
Dive bar:
carefully curated, hand cleaned whenever necessary and put in plastic sleeves
album and the first 13th Floor
9th Avenue Rock House: nightly regular
to protect against dust and shelf wear. Yamashita says, “between our three full-
Elevators album for 99 cents each
customers, neighborhood feel, and heavy
time employees we have over 70 years of experience in the music industry, so
from a Goodwill store which is now
metal karaoke!
we pretty much know what we’re doing. And, we can usually name that tune in
long gone.
three notes!”
Yamashita gave us an unbeatable itinerary: a lazy drive up to North Shore,
Diamond Head, of course!
Late night haunts: The perfect Honolulu day:
Most people go to Side Street Inn in
100 Proof Hawaiian Moonshine, a dive bar for heavy metal karaoke, and so
Take a lazy drive the long way up
Kakaako between 6 and 9 pm for family-
much more. Mahalo, Ward.
the Windward Side of the island to
style, local cuisine dinner and forget that it’s
the North Shore, stopping at fruit
just a great hang for afterwards, too.
stands along the side of the road for some refreshing chilled coconut and
Live music venue:
mango. Park at Turtle Bay Resort,
The Republik near Ala Moana Shopping
and take a scenic walk out to Kahuku
Center.
Point and back. Get back in the car and drive to a Kahuku Shrimp Truck/
Local street food:
Shack to order the garlic shrimp
Elena’s Filipino Food lunchwagon! They have
plate. Cruise up to Sunset Beach and
the best pork adobo and a killer fried rice
jump in the calm water there. Drive
omelette. They have trucks at Campbell
into Haleiwa town and look around
Industrial Park, Mapunapuna/Airport, and
at some of the cool shops. Then
Waipio, all on the Leeward side of the island.
either driving back to Turtle Bay and
Hotel:
having a nice cocktail at Surfer, The
The Halekulani is still the go-to for old time
Bar OR getting a shave ice. If the line
Waikiki service and atmosphere. It’s pretty
at Matsumoto’s is too long (and it
pricey (advertised rates start around $500/
always is) then find the Aloha General
night) so there’s definitely a reason why it’s
Store in Haleiwa.
always booked up well in advance.
Happy hour:
Clothing and shoe boutique:
53 by the Sea. Locals don’t really
Volcom.
know about it because they mostly cater to Japanese tourists who are
Local spirits:
only there to get married, but they
100 Proof Hawaiian Moonshine, which is
have a great liquor selection and you
produced by Island Distillers. Very smooth.
feel like you’re having drinks at Tony
62 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Montana’s house in Scarface.
Photography: Shaun Regan
finish off your North Shore visit by
WHAT TO EAT
Hawaii Food and Wine Festival
What: Internationally renowned chefs convene to put their magic touch on local delicacies and island ingredients, with events spanning the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu. When: September 4-13, 2015 Where: Locations throughout Hawaii, hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com
HOLE-IN-THE-WALL JOINTS We discovered that fancy chefs crave good ol’ comfort food like the rest of us. We talked to toques from near and far about their favorite hole-in-the-wall dining spots throughout Hawaii. Chef Art Smith (Table Fifty-Two, Art and Soul): Sushi Bay for conveyor belt sushi. 590 Farrington
Photography: Shaun Regan
Highway, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707 Chef Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger) had plenty Honolulu
Chef Wade Ueoka of MW Restaurant gave us
to share: There’s the not-so-hidden-anymore Side
the must order at his joint: mochi-crusted
Street (1225 Hopaka Street). Nagomi for teppanyaki
opakapaka (pink snapper). 1538 Kapi’olani
(1687 Kapiolani Boulevard). The Pig and the Lady (83
Boulevard, Suite 107, Honolulu, Hawaii 96814
North King Street) for home cooking incorporating Vietnamese, Asian, and Pacific cuisine. And lastly, take a break from shopping at Ala Moana (a huge mall) for ramen at Goma Tei (1450 Ala Moana Boulevard).
CULTURE COLLIDE . 63
WHAT TO SEE
Natural Selection
HAWAII ART SCENE: BETTY MARTIN
64 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
You might not instantly recognize the name Betty Martin, but the angels that sit atop Manhattan’s iconic Flatiron building may ring familiar. The now Hawaii-based fine artist and painter was asked to redesign and sculpt the winged sculptures in 2001. Her resume is impressive: She’s also worked in theater, opera, and independent film in Paris; as well as lead scenic on large scale video productions for Janet Jackson, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes, and The Spice Girls. But these days, she uses her coveted MFA from L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts de Paris on commissioned works for high-end interior design and her own project, a collection of paintings called “Pristine” which reflect nature’s abstraction.
Who better than Martin to help us discover the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands. The artist clued us in to her top five nature spots. 1. Klauea / Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island 2. Waimea Valley, Oahu 3. Waipio Valley, Hawaii Island 4. Ulup Heiau, Oahu 5. Kuliouou Hike, Oahu
“I AM” acrylic on canvas by Betty Martin
“Primeval Hawaii” acrylic on canvas by Betty Martin
“Champagne Pool” acrylic on caNvas by Betty Martin
“I AM” by Betty Martin is on display at 87zero, 560 North Nimitz Highway 110, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96817 (808-791-9870 or 87zeroHI.com) Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm; Saturday, 10 am-3 pm. For more information on Betty Martin and upcoming exhibits, go to bettymartinworks.com. Follow her on Instagram: @bettymartinworks
Today,
Atlanta.
The Black Lips Tame the
Tom
morrow,
The
World
by Rachael Roth
Travel
Beast
OPENING PHOTO: SHAUN REGAN; THIS PAGE: JESSIE FOX
“even when we were in the middle east, a lot of the kids that we talked to and who went to our shows had never been to a rock concert before, but they acted the same as most of our crowds. it was an automatic response”
68 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
With an affection for their hometown of Atlanta and its down-home constituents, the rowdy boys who make up THE Black Lips also have the travel bug — bad. They’ve played a show in every continent, except for Antarctica, but that’s on the bucket list. Transporting their sound from the comfortable womb of garages, basements, and other typical dwellings of their punk predecessors, the foursome have expanded their horizons with bold, fearless travel, creating their elaborate nexus of rock. More like family than bandmates, the Black Lips have grown up together, both musically and personally, employing a learn-on-thejob technique that was made possible by the group’s dynamic — and it has paid off. Their eighth studio album since 2005, last year’s
Underneath The Rainbow is easily their best yet, combining darkly energetic rhythms with haunting, serial-killer pop. Even when it’s densely layered, their newest stuff also goes back to basics on some tracks, such as the tambourine-infused “Make You Mine.” You almost have to wonder if they play the bouncy pop rock single with a hint of irony, especially when compared with the ominous “Boys in The Wood” and accompanying music video that’ll chill you for days. Don’t overthink it though — as the band will tell you, their brand of rock ’n’ roll is universal, which has made it possible to connect to punks or recent converts on a global scale. In years past this sometimes took just one fan from any given country to suggest that they play there, to which they generally figured, “why not?” For the group, especially before they had someone else to handle booking, it was just about getting there, and the details would come later. More often than not, though, they are received with open arms, by kids who in some cases have never seen a rock show before. We caught up with bassist Jared Swilley and lead singer/guitarist Cole Alexander to learn about culture shock, packing for long trips, and growing up with the band.
CULTURE COLLIDE . 69
Cole at Musso & Frank’s: “I like old establishments like this place. They become institutions.”
Gun to your head, if you HAD to move out of Atlanta, where would you go? COLE: One of my favorite cities is Istanbul, Turkey. To me that’s kind of the bridge between the East and the West. You get a touch of Middle Eastern culture, a touch of European culture. I like cities that have a duality like that. JARED: Memphis. Maybe New Orleans. The only other place I’ve lived is LA. I like it a lot, it’s just not home. I decided after I moved back I would never live outside the South. Mostly because of family, but also just because I like it. And I get to travel. Maybe if I was stuck here all the time I would want to move somewhere for two years and get out. But when I am here I cherish it so much. I’m fortunate enough to have four living grandparents, and my parents, and nieces and nephews. I live with my little brother; my sister lives just down the street. It’s nice to just have that, because I’m without my family for a lot of the year so when I’m back I really appreciate that time here. Traveling, as much as I do and as much as I love it, it makes me appreciate home so much more. I think that’s real important. Can you share some travel advice? JARED: I think one of the most important things is traveling light and traveling smart. If I leave for three months, I can carry my bag anywhere. It’s just a canvas duffle bag. You really only need two or three pairs of pants, and a bunch of white t-shirts that can easily be replaced. Don’t bring anything that’s special to you at all. If you have a really sentimental jacket or an old friend’s t-shirt, don’t bring that. [Just bring] anything replaceable, stuff you can scrunch up. Bring a jacket everywhere you go. Even if it’s summer, just because you’ll get cold at some point. Socks and underwear are the main thing, that’s why I have socks and underwear on our rider. And that’s what I care about the most
When you’re playing to new crowds in foreign places, how
on our rider.
do you connect to your audience? COLE: There are two groups of audiences. Some kids are better off economically;
You have aspirations to play in seemingly dangerous
some of them had studied abroad in Europe and they come back and they’re very
places. Do you mainly go to change people’s (or your
educated. They seem to have the [same] understanding of the world [as] I do. With
own) notions of these places or is there a different
the internet it’s a small world, so that kind of felt like just playing to [an audience]
reason?
back home. But then there was another group of people; in Cairo we played in these
JARED: I remember when we were booking the Middle East thing, in a lot
community centers, and there were some young kids, and some of them seemed like
of interviews we did people would have their own narrative before they spoke
they had never seen a punk show or even a rock ‘n’ roll show. You could just tell, the
to us and would try to peg that on us. As far as a collective and how our music
way they would dance was totally different. I don’t know if they were making up moves
goes, it’s apolitical, and it’s just about having fun. With the Middle East, we
as they went along or if that was just how they danced to rock music. Members of the
were just going there because we could and we wanted to. For us, we like
audience [were] in Hijabs, stuff like that was really different. I had never seen that
traveling and we like to mix it up. Touring the states and Europe is great but
before so it was exciting. But there’s a universal feel with the audience. It’s fun, it’s rock
sometimes you want to change it up a little. And if you have the opportunity,
‘n’ roll and people dance and stuff, you know?
why not?
JARED: Our audiences tend to be pretty similar, like the world over. I don’t know if it’s
COLE: Most people like in Cairo and Iraq have a lot of stuff to do. People
like that with everyone. When you’re playing rock ‘n’ roll the people are drinking. Any
have jobs, they don’t have time to be like, “Oh my god there’s an American, let’s
place in the world you’ve ever been, when you step into a place where you’re playing it’s
go kill them.” Most people have families. It’s not so black and white.
never all that different from anywhere else.
70 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Jared playing tour guide in Atlanta
CULTURE COLLIDE . 71
Does anything from your travels inform your music
What city has given you the biggest culture shock?
now?
JARED: Probably Mumbai. If you’re touring over there, the people who have the
COLE: One of the most inspiring musical things I’ve heard from Turkey, and
luxury to bring you there are pretty wealthy. So just seeing the wealth gap, that was kind
Lebanon — all over the Middle East — was the Muslim prayer call. It’s usually
of jarring. It hits you right when you get there like an assault on all your senses. I don’t
blasting over a loudspeaker, sometimes multiple loudspeakers, and they’re
really get culture shock in many places. I mean, Japan is super weird, like in cool ways.
bouncing off walls; it’s reverberating and echoing through the city, and sometimes
But India was pretty shocking. Just walking into a club there’s like heaps of garbage
the speakers aren’t loud enough to pump as far as it should so it’s really distorted.
[outside] and people crawling all over it, and open sewage, and then you go up in this
And they’re singing a beautiful, religious poem or a song; that’s what it appears to
club where you’re playing and [it feels like] you [could] be in Manhattan or something. A
be. I find that very inspiring. I wanted to incorporate some of that into our music
club in Nashville could be the same as a club in Naples. Outside it’s different but when
but it’s very difficult from a music theory level. I’m still trying to figure it out, but I
you’re inside it’s all the same. Even before we went to Japan everyone was telling us the
have been studying that.
audiences just stand still and they clap politely after every song.
JARED: Maybe it’s because I’m not at home and tied to anything, but traveling around, you’re kind of in a different mindset. Especially if I’m somewhere like
I don’t believe that for a second.
Europe or North America. I just get in this mind frame where it’s easier for me
JARED: No, and that didn’t happen at all. All the kids were going crazy and crowd-
to write songs. When we were in the Middle East, their song structures are [so]
surfing.
different than ours. Everything here is a 4/4 measure, blues-based kind of thing. When you’re listening to a lot of Arabic music it’s a completely different structure.
I feel like Japan is the one place where they just love
Everything we do is so based in traditional American music. Sometimes it’s cool to
everything.
hear their traditional music, and add elements of that [to our music].
JARED: And when they love something they really, really love it. And find out everything about it. I like their passion for getting into genres of things and subcultures. Even when we were in the Middle East, a lot of the kids that we talked to and who went to our shows had never been to a rock concert before, but they acted the same as most of our crowds. It was like an automatic response. You seem like a tight-knit group and you’ve been through a lot together. How does this play a part in the process of writing your songs, conveying a message and your overall vision? Does that feed into your creative process? JARED: 100%. I know bands where there’s a definite main person and no one else has any input. That would always just seem weird to me. I would have trouble just being a hired gun or something like that. Not there’s anything wrong with that. I mean, I would do it for a job, but for us, everything is purely democratic and everyone writes so it’s always been a process like that. But I couldn’t imagine being in a band with people I didn’t grow up with. All our parents know each other, and it’s more like a family. I’ve started other bands with [other] people and it’s fun and you do your music and stuff but it’s not something I would dedicate my life to. It’s nice knowing people that have your back and knowing you’re all in it for the same reason. Have you learned any vital lessons through traveling? Is there one singular lesson that stands above the rest? JARED: Don’t kiss other boys onstage in India because it’s illegal. And they get really mad at you.
Cole and girlfriend Zumi in Croatia: “Zumi actually plays sax with us now, she tours with us sometimes.”
72 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
AT HOME IN ATLANTA WITH COLE ALEXANDER Photos by Joanna Pasiecnik
The perfect Atlanta day I’d probably start by going down to Buford highway, which is one of the most ethnically diverse [places] so there are a lot of good restaurants; I like to eat, I like ethnic hole-in-the-walls and you can find a holein-the-wall Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant. There’s a lot of thrift stores there so I’d probably go to a thrift store or flea market or
Favorite Landmark
antique store.
There’s a fast food place called
I might go to the drive-in movie theater.
the Varsity where you can get
We have one of the last drive-in movie theaters.
chili dogs and stuff. It has like
See like a B-movie or something. Starlight Drive-In
a big lit up sign and it says “V.”
Theater, 2000 Moreland Avenue Southeast
I just like that building; it’s an
Then I might go to my favorite trucker bar,
old establishment. I like old
Southern Comfort which is down the road. It’s
establishments. They become
open until four in the morning, which is later than
institutions. The Varsity, 61 North
most bars in Atlanta, and a lot of the truck drivers go
Avenue Northwest
there. One time I went on Thanksgiving and truck drivers who can’t be home with their families stay
Best record store in town
there and sleep in their cabs, and shower and eat
In the neighborhood Little Five Points there’s Wax
turkey there, but there’s a very urban-cowboy vibe.
n Facts which is good for records. They originally
You’re not far from the city but it’s real country.
started this label called DB records and they put out
Southern Comfort, 1383 Cedar Grove Road
Pylon and the B52’s. There’s Criminal Records
I like Atlanta because it’s the South but
which is good for new re-issues and they’ll have live
it’s a little different. It’s metropolitian but it’s a
performances there.
metropolitan Southern state, so we get a little bit
There’s another record store called Full Moon,
of the good side of both things. Atlanta was actually
which I think is closing unfortunately. It’s a nice,
the original country music recording capital before
small store with a good cassette collection. Wax n
Nashville in the 1920s. That’s where people came to
Facts, 432 Moreland Avenue Northeast; Criminal
record. You can drive 45 minutes out of Atlanta and
Records, 1154 Euclid Avenue Northeast; Full Moon
you’re in the country, so you get a feel for that.
Records, 1653 McLendon Avenue Northeast
Undiscovered Gems
Best Coffee
In Jonesboro they have a big antiques market once a month.
There’s a place called Octane right
I don’t know if that’s a secret, but out in the parking lot they
up the street from my house where
have thrifty, flea market deals, and you can find some hidden
I get coffee. Through traveling I
gems there. We have a lot of strip clubs in Atlanta, too.
kind of became a coffee snob. I
There used to be these Goodwills in Atlanta where
can’t do pot coffee anymore like I
everything was 99 cents and things were just in piles. They
used to. After going to Europe and
were clothes that didn’t seem nice enough to hang on the
having espresso shots, I got really
racks. Sometimes I’d pull a dirty diaper out of these piles,
into that. Octane, 1009-B Marietta
but I’d also pull out a 1989 Guns N’ Roses tour t-shirt that
St.; 437 Memorial Drive Suite A5;
goes for like $150 in New York or LA. I’d find a lot of band
3423 Piedmont Road NE Suite 100
shirts and old vintage clothes; that was my jam. But then they closed. One of my friends got scabies from digging through the stuff. CULTURE COLLIDE . 73
74 . collIDE
COLLIDE .
The Girl Anachronism
Zola Jesus
finds home(s) away from home 76 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
By Rachael Roth PHOTOS BY AMBER RENEE
“Do you wish you could go back to it all? I would never miss a moment
Her theme of finding or creating an ideal environment follows Zola Jesus on tour, where she was “hell bent” on having light sculptures as a backdrop during
of it all,” sings Zola Jesus, (given name Nika Roza
her performances, and backstage, where the set up is
Danilova) on her newest release, Taiga, her lovelorn
less elaborate, but equally important.
musings on pre inhabited civilization, but the songs are very much of the moment.
“I’ll have a candle, and incense, and I’ll have my music, and I set it up in a way that feels like a home.
“‘Dangerous Days’ helped me realize the skill of
You have to adjust your home every time, in every city,
crafting a modern pop song,” Danilova says on the
and that helps to create stability and balance.”
commentary for the album’s title track. “But it’s still got a twist, and it’s still me.”
Danilova is skilled at finding home even in distant
Don’t be fooled by the cleaner, catchier sound; the
Russia. “My family comes from Ukraine. I’m com-
material is not any lighter than Danilova’s music past.
pletely Americanized, but going over there, still some-
“The most alienating thing about my music will always
thing about it feels very native, it feels familiar in a
be the fact that what I’m singing about — I’m not
weird way. Even when I’d never been over to Russia,
singing love songs, I’m singing about fear of mortality,
when I did go there it just felt like home. Whether it’s
I’m singing about things that people don’t want to
the smells or the people or the mentality, something
casually listen to. No matter how you package that
about it just felt like home very instantly.”
Jennifer Jones
corners of the world, from Seattle to Scandinavia to
Performing outside St. Vitus in Brooklyn in the middle of snow storm Juno
music, it’s going to affect people the same way.” When she says this, it’s like she’s yearning for a To write the album, Danilova lived in complete
past life. Her poised, self-possession unmistakable,
isolation on Washington’s Vashon Island. Through
Danilova reads like her history and experiences
this process, her striking vocals have found their way
predate her time on Earth. And it makes you wonder
to the surface after being submerged so long in her
whether she ever missed a moment of it all, after all.
music’s sonic ocean, and if anything, this de-layering supports her mission to create a sound that’s strong and primal, to tap into something pure and new.
“
My family comes from Ukraine. I’m completely Americanized, but going over there, still something about it feels very native, it feels familiar in a weird way. Even when I’d never been over to Russia, when I did go there it just felt like home. Whether it’s the smells or the people or the mentality, something about it just felt like home very instantly.” CULTURE COLLIDE . 77
Seattle according to
Zola Jesus the perfect SEATTLE day
Hiking in Mount Rainier. Visiting the Japanese Garden (1075 Lake Washington Boulevard East). Getting sushi at Momiji (1522 12th Avenue).
Favorite landmark The Richard Serra sculpture at the Olympic Sculpture Park (2901 Western Avenue) Undiscovered gem Little Uncle in Pioneer Square
Favorite neighborhood International District Favorite dive bar Pony (1221 East Madison Street) Best place for coffee Milstead & Co (770 North 34th Street)
Milstead & Co. / Dan Cole
(1509 East Madison Street)
Olympic Sculpture Park / Benjamin Benschneider
Live music venue The Crocodile (2200 2nd Avenue)
78 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Courtesy of Totokaelo
Best place to still buy records Wall of Sound (1205 East Pike Street #1C)
Courtesy of Ace Hotel
one record you recently bought there Liliana Poli singing Schoenberg and Nono Recommended hotel Ace Hotel Favorite clothing boutique Totokaelo
Carl Jabido
At home chopping wood.
Memorial Weekend May 22-25, 2015 A picturesque festival in the Pacific Northwest. this year’s lineup includes:
Kendrick Lamar, Robert Plant, Modest Mouse, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent, The Decemberists, Little Dragon, Jenny Lewis, The War on Drugs, Father John Misty, Chromeo, Spoon
The Gorge, 3 hours east of Seattle, Washington. Travel Tip: Camping is the way to go, but bring plenty of rain gear. www.sasquatchfestival.com
Here's where to find Culture Collide during SXSW. March 16-21
Bar 96 96 Rainey St.
80 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Clive Bar 609 Davis St.
t c e f r e The P
Austin day by Alex Maas of Black Angels
Alex Maas grew up in
FIRST AND FOREMOST: Take phone and turn it off for the day.
Seabrook, TX, what he describes as “a charming community with fisher-
8 am Strong coffee
men and seafarers. I grew up on a plant nursery that has been in the family since the ’50s; the best place for a
9 am Trashy breakfast tacos at any establishment on the east side.
boy to run around and let his imagination run wild.” He moved from
10 am Juiceland!
the rural comforts of Seabrook to the bustling weirdo arts community of Austin, where the psych rock movement is alive and well. And the Black Angels are right at the
11am-2pm Barton springs 3pm Blacks bbq because Franklin is closed.
forefront. Maas lays down the best of his city in this Austin guide.
4pm strong coffee 4:30-10pm studio creative fun time 10:20pm Saps Thai food (pad see ew)
REFUEL
SXSW General Manager JAMES MINOR Recommends Thai cuisine: Sway (1417 South 1st St.)
Good Mexican: Polvos (2004 South 1st St.)
Containter Bar 90 Rainey St.
11:30-? Drinks and Pool 3am-ish snuggle in bed with a bunch of puppies and go to sleep
Caffeine Fix: Figure 8 (1111 Chicon St.)
CULTURE COLLIDE . 81
Best coffee: Flat Rack, The Buzzmill.
Best after-hours hangouts: Valhalla, The White Horse, Cheer Up Charlies,
Best place to catch a show: Carson Creek Ranch river stage at Austin Psych Fest. May be the best venue in the state and I have
Best spot for happy hour:
played a couple.
Parkside.
Best Shawarma in town: Favorite Landmark:
Kabaabalicious.
The Capitol building.
Record store: Undiscovered gem:
Reverberation Appreciation Society HQ, Waterloo,
Red Bud Park.
End of an Ear.
Best neighborhood:
Recently bought record:
Cherrywood — it’s in a good central location,
Vashti Bunyan.
very friendly, lots of trees. Austin Recording service is there. I spend loads of time there.
Where to stay: St. Cecilia.
Favorite dive bar: Sahara lounge.
Where to shop: Stag.
Best local beer and spirit: (512) Pecan Porter and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.
Waterloo Records
BLACK ANGELS PHOTOS: Opening page, Alexandra Valenti; this page, Courtney Chavanell
The Side Bar, The Liberty.
EST’D
A LOCAL FAV
April Fool's Day 1982
We love music and film as much as you do, so we created a store where all of us would want to hang out, listen, and shop. Waterloo has been voted as Austin's "Best Record Store" for 32 consecutive years by the readers of the Austin Chronicle.
TOP SELLING RECORD OF THE MOMENT Shakey Graves - And The War Came
STOP HERE FOR Great music and video selection (new & used), plus friendly staff. Free weekly in-store performances with up and coming bands (and sometimes superstar bands), from around the world and around the corner, plus free beer too! We are SXSW Central with 28 bands performing free to 1000+ folks in our parking lot, and we are the official music vendor at ACL Fest and FunFunFun Fest, hosting dozens of artist/ band autograph session meet and greets at our festival store tents. 82 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Spencer Selvidge
Right around the corner from SXSW, this local favorite has a curated selection from folks who love music and vinyl just as much as you do. WATERLOO GIVES US THE SCOOP.
CLAIM TO FAME Robert Plant and Quentin Tarantino have shopped here.
RAREST RECORD IN STORE
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Yoko Ono, Kim Gordon, and Thurston Moore Yokokimthurston Deluxe Box Set — Numbered and Autographed
Metamodern Sounds In Country Music by Sturgill Simpson
Hotel Saint Cecilia The neon-adorned Victorian mansion may have a strict don’t ask, don’t tell policy, but we’ve heard that bands like Radiohead and Green Day stay here when passing through town. Tucked away in Austin’s historic Travis Heights neighborhood, the hip, colorful palace is an obvious choice of lodging for musicians and fans alike. NEED MORE CONVINCING? HOTEL ST. CECILIA SPILLS THE BEANS.
Clockwise from top left: Allison V. Smith; Casey Dunn; Casey Dunn; Tenaya Hills; Allison V. Smith
THE “IT” HOTEL We think the seclusion of the property is a big draw. It really feels like you are in this kind of hideaway, surrounded by lush grounds, which feels a million miles away but it’s right in the heart of the city. And the intimate size of the hotel makes it feel a bit like guests have the run of the place — it’s easy to pretend that it’s your private estate for a while. Service is a huge part of what makes the experience special. With only 14 rooms, we have the luxury of tailoring the experience to each guest.
A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH How many hotel pools have a SOUL neon sign overlooking them? We spend a lot of time on little details; one example is our custom robes – both the fabric and the robe design are custom made for us, which is rare. Our in-room spa minibars featuring bathing and body care products from Santa Maria Novella seems to be another well-loved detail of the hotel as well.
NO NEED TO NAME NAMES, BUT... We’ve had a few pretty amazing private events – the time Emmylou Harris played on the front porch, the time Sam Beam (of Iron and Wine) and Devandra Banhart played for a small audience on picnic blankets under the big oak tree. In terms of crazy guest stays, we did have a group host a mini Burning Man party in Suite 4 and they built an effigy and burnt it in the firepit.
THE BEST ROOM We get a lot of requests for Suites 1 and 4. Both offer a lot of sleeping and social space. Suite 1 has a private outdoor shower and Suite 4 has a big backyard and fire pit. But of course, every guest is different and we have a lot of return guests who have developed an attachment to a particular room – in fact some of them refer to them as “my room.” We consider that a huge success, when a guest feels a sense of propriety about the hotel.
IN THE GIFT SHOP... Our limited edition Roux. St. James perfumes contain essences of flowers culled from the hotel’s gardens. They offer a way to actually take some of the Saint Cecilia home with you. We love the collaborations we do with Cambria Handmade (leather goods) and other great designers.
CULTURE COLLIDE . 83
Angel Olsen back in Heavenly songbird Angel Olsen has a way of putting you at ease. Olsen plays tour guide to her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and somehow it feels like we’ve been here all our lives.
Stl Tips from AO #Angel Olsen:
record stores in stl I grew up playing guitar (practicing for my big break) outside of Vintage Vinyl on Delmar Street, so I always make it a habit to stop in and see if I still know anyone or check out their record collection — it's a big store, tons to look through. Always kind of hilarious to revisit that time in my life! Vintage Vinyl, 6610 Delmar Another favorite I discovered when I left St. Louis is the St. Louis Music Exchange. It's a record store on Hampton Boulevard. If you've got an afternoon free, pack a lunch, they stock so much old country and jazz and memorabilia. A real fun house. If you're a collector, you should know they have an auction going nonstop. St. Louis Music Exchange, 5320 Hampton Avenue
leisure or break time: I always revisit MoKaBe’s and Meshuggah, both are coffee shops that have had a strong, solid staff for years. There’s always a story waiting to happen in either one of those places. Both cafes serve fantastic drinks and make some killer sandwiches as well. MoKaBe’s, 3606 Arsenal Street; Meshuggah, 6269 Delmar If you get a chance, walk or drive through Forest Park and visit the museums there. Most of them are free to the public, and the park itself is very beautiful. Growing up, my mother would take me for driving lessons there and we would go visit the Jewel Box, a historic greenhouse built in the ‘30s. City Museum isn’t free, but it’s worth the visit. City Museum,
If you like shopping vintage or you’re looking for antique furniture, stop into Retro 101 Cherry Bomb in Benton Park. (It doesn’t hurt that the owners are super kind and enthusiastic people as well.) Retro 101 Cherry Bomb, 2303 Cherokee Street
84 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Kelly Giarrocco
750 N 16th
on the bookshelf: Borrow a few of Olsen’s books for your own
dinner recommendations: Casual to upscale.
spring reading list. Frank Papa’s - Italian 2241 South Brentwood Boulevard
Imo’s Pizza - flat crust pizza of Stl multiple locations
She is a fantastic, vivid writer — an author Cunetto House of Pasta - Italian
with a gift for details at their most natural
5453 Magnolia Avenue
rhythm. You will forget you’re reading a
City Diner - greasy spoon 3139 South Grand Boulevard
Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan series.
book. The series is about a committed Local Harvest Cafe - local farmers and producers
friendship beginning in 1950s Naples.
3137 Morgan Ford Road
Without giving too much away, imagine The
Mangia - beer and wine; casual vibe, but with upscale
Godfather, but from a niece’s perspective.
food and drinks
The Royale - for food and cocktails
I couldn’t put it down. Her fourth book
3145 South Grand Boulevard
3132 S. Kings Highway
comes out this September.
Brasserie by Niche - French
and lastly...Dessert at Crown Candy!
I also just started The End of Days, by
4580 Laclede Avenue
1401 St. Louis Avenue
Jenny Erpenbeck and have my eye on The Sheltering Sky, by Paul Bowles.
Lou Fest A fall weekend to jam in the park Last year’s lineup included
outkast arctic monkeys cake future islands matt & kim and trombone shorty & orleans avenue
Outkast at Lou Fest by Reagan Hackleman
September 12-13, 2015
Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri
CULTURE COLLIDE . 85
Bienvenue a Montreal
CHROMEO
TAKES US FOR A RIDE Chromeo is the electro-funk dance machine duo AKA Dave 1 and P-Thugg. You might recall their commercial from last year promoting the “airline” Mallard Air. While that may have been a publicity stunt, when it comes to their hometown of Montreal, they mean business. P-Thugg gave us the insider guide to the coolest Canadian city.
A perfect Montreal day is to wake up at noon, go get a fresh croissant (they’re all over the city), bum around all day and go record shopping, go thrifting. Go have dinner at Jano’s for Portuguese chicken (3883 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, 514-849-0646). Go out to Peel Pub for pre-game. Go to Blizzarts (3956 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, 514-843-4860) on Friday night for Get Nice night. 3 a.m. snack at Fairmount Bagels (74 Avenue Fairmount Ouest, 514-272-0667) before you go home and sleep. 86 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
What’s your favorite spot for happy hour? Peel Pub (1196 Rue Peel, 514-844-7296).
OPPOSITE: Timothy Saccenti. THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Lafond, D courtesy of Quebec Tourism; DeAnna Janes; Jean-François Hamelin courtesy of Quebec Tourism; Osheaga / Carl Jabido.
Cheap spaghetti, 50-cent chicken wings.
Favorite landmark? The Olympic stadium (4141 Avenue Pierre-de Coubertin, 514-252-4141). Pure ‘70s design gem.
Undiscovered gem? The Montreal Poutine (161 Rue Saint Paul Est, 514-656-0935). Fries, cheese curds, and gravy. If you’ve never had poutine, it’s the first thing you should do when you get here. Best place to get it is Lafleur (3620 Rue St-Denis, 514-848-1804), or Banquise (994 Rue Rachel Est, 514-525-2415).
Favorite neighborhood? St-Henri is the best neighborhood. Where mullets and hipsters live side by side in perfect harmony.
Best place for coffee? I don’t drink coffee, but apparently the best place for coffee is called Cafe Olimpico (124 Rue St-Viateur Ouest, 514-495-0746). A bunch of old Portuguese dudes serving $1 coffee.
Late night haunts? Late night food at The Main (3864 SaintLaurent Boulevard, 514-843-8126) or Miami Deli (3090 Rue Sherbrooke Est,
Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
514-525-0600).
What: CHROMEO played a hometown set last
Live music venue?
White, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Lorde, and
The Metropolis (59 Rue Sainte-Catherine
up-and-comers at the popular Montreal
Est, 514-844-3500) will always be a classic.
gathering.
Best shawarma?
for miles and miles of mind-blowing music.
Amir (6365 Sherbrooke W., 514-481-5559).
When: July 31-August 2, 2015
year, alongside performances by Jack
Why: Wander the beautiful Montreal park
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal
Best place to still buy records? Primitive Disques (3830, Rue Saint-Denis, 514-845-6017).
Recommended hotel for someone visiting? Hotel 10 (10 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, 855-390-6787). Favorite clothing/shoe boutiques? Fripe-prix (6960, Rue SaintHubert, 514-274-9666). Best thrift ever. CULTURE COLLIDE . 87
CALGARY
St. Vincent at Sled Island Music Festival 88 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Text and Photos By Wes Martin
culture collide . 89
CALGARY
P o p u l at i o n :
1,156,686 S q u a r e F o o ta g e :
318.6 sq miles (825.3 km²)
What was your motivation for booking that plane ticket?
Did you ever feel out of your comfort zone?
I was visiting Calgary for the annual Sled Island Music Festival,
I can’t say that ever happened! Rad town, rad
with some really great local and Canadian bands like Operators, as
people, rad food, and rad music.
well as rad international talent like St. Vincent and Spiritualized. What songs would sum up your trip?
Sunniest Canadian City Leave knowing how to:
Build an
Igloo
(Seriously they teach this at the U niversity of Calgary)
D o n ’ t E v e n T ry i t:
It’s illegal to pretend to
practice witchcraft
What cool cultural trend did you encounter?
“Hey Jane,” by Spiritualized, and “Birth in
I didn’t know it was called Cowtown before! After learning
Reverse,” by St. Vincent. They both played at
that, things just started to make sense; the Saddledome, the
Sled Island! Honestly, you can’t ever go wrong
Calgary Stampede Football team, etc. Came to find out that
with either of these two. Annie Clark is simply
Calgary is home to the Calgary Stampede, the world’s largest
becoming one of the best artists around right
rodeo taking place over 10 days in July. Being a Texas boy, this
now. I’m only bitter because we went to rival
got me a little stoked.
high schools in Dallas. Maybe she’ll come to Stampede with me next year…
Make our mouths water. What was the food scene like? We went to some great spots to eat and drink. For sure try out Ox
Did you need to travel to get your head right/
and Angela — really good tapas spot on17th Ave in the Mission
get your sanity back? Did it work?
neighborhood of Calgary, which is full of places to eat. Definitely
If anything, this trip was an extension of what
try the churros and get a dope cup of coffee. I don’t even drink
I do every day, especially during the summer.
coffee, and I loved it. And if you LOVE coffee, you must cruise over
Eat rad food, hang with some cool folks, and
to Phil and Sebastian, who source their coffee from sustainable
see tons of awesome music. Though, doing this
farms all over South America, and roast it all on site. Also check
outside of New York is always refreshing, so it
out Cibo on 17th Ave for delicious cocktails and Italian food. For
was actually much needed!
cheese and charcuterie, hit up Janice Beaton Fine Cheese — amazing, and attached to a rad restaurant called Farm. Pizzahead?
What was the crowd like at Sled Island? How
Check out UNA Pizza + Wine. Amazing artisanal pizzas and tons of
did you connect or relate to them?
wine. I love wine.
The crowds were really genuine and appreciative. I’m not entirely sure how much indie rock
OR ride a horse
to t h e M a l l i n Ca n a d a
Ca lga ry i s h o m e to t h e
Calgary Stampede,
the world’s largest rodeo ta k i n g pla c e over
1 0 d ay s i n J uly
What to look out for this year:
rolls through Calgary regularly, since it doesn’t
Sled Island Festival is June 24-28. Each year a different artist
have the reputation of Montreal, Vancouver,
or band acts as the guest curator to set the vibe for the festival.
or Toronto…yet. There is a scene there that’s
Past curators have included Kathleen Hanna and Andrew W.K,
ready to pick up, and the city is full of life and
and this year they’ve chosen Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Stay
enthusiasm for culture and music. Top notch,
another couple of days and check out Stampede. That’s my plan,
and I’ll be going back, for sure.
anyways. Check out the National Music Center as well, which has become the world’s largest keyboard museum. They’re moving into a new spot next year, which will include the Rolling Stones mobile production studio.
Wes Martin is a Brooklyn-based editor and avid concert goer. He’s far too fussy about his hair, and wants to know: “What do you mean by AVID?”
LEFT TO RIGHT: Crafted Cocktails at Bar C; Wilted Kale at Bar C; Assorted Cheeses at Janice Beaton Fine Cheese; Janice Beaton Fine Cheese 90 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
TOP: Menu Board at Bar C; BOTTOM: Pig’s Ear Terrine at Janice Beaton Fine Cheese
culture collide . 91
Reykjavik
ICELAND
D R E A M L A N D TEXT AND PHOTOS By Sabine Brice
Iceland is delightfully beautiful. You’ll easily become enamored of its wild beauty (think volcanoes, gazers, Northern lights, waterfalls) and the genuineness of its inhabitants. 92 . collIDE
COLLIDE .
DON’T BE SHY
Cool cultural trends
Talk to the locals, most of them are proud
There seems to be a magic spark added to everything
Icelanders and are happy to share their
that Icelanders do – from the lovely streets and
knowledge.
eclectic bars of Reykjavik, to Icelandic design, music, and cinema.
Know Before You Go Iceland is not cheap; be ready to spend
Not to mention the amazing music festivals, such
money. Reykjavik is a small city, so walking
as All Tomorrow’s Parties (July 2-4, 2015), Iceland
and public transportation are the way to
Airwaves (November 4-8, 2015) and Sonar Reykjavik
go. When traveling outside of the city, a
(in February). Think cozy and not overcrowded, with
rental car or tours are the best option.
an exquisite lineup. It is worth it to stay on top of the
Pack a set of warm clothes (sweater, lay-
Icelandic music scene, as it really has a lot to offer.
ers, jacket) as even in the summer time the
Some local artists I'm into: Samaris, Sykur, Sóley,
weather can be cool.
Young Karin, Vök.
What was your motivation for booking that plane ticket?
What song would sum up your trip? “Reykjavik,” by Sykur
Sabine Brice is a Latvia-based writer, explorer, and music lover who spent last year soaking up all that New York City has to offer.
Iceland has been on my bucket list since the first time I heard Sigur Rós. So when I
Awesome Things to Do
discovered that Icelandic Air offers a free
Stay at the design hotel Reykjavik Marina and Kekx
layover up to five days in Reykjavik when
Hostel (worth a stop for their amazing jazz nights
traveling from the United States to Europe
and great bar vibe, too). Do a proper bar round in
(and vice versa), I didn’t hesitate to book my
Reykjavik; there are a lot of hip and cozy places to
holiday. Considering the remote location of
go – Kaffibarinn (used to be part-owned by Damon
Iceland, this is a great opportunity to visit;
Albarn), Lebowski Bar (a must-visit for movie lovers),
at the same time a few days might not be
and Kaldi Café. For an excellent dinner, check out
enough time to fully enjoy the country.
Grillmarkaðurinn.
Adventurous Eats Dining is a unique experience in Iceland – sample traditional dishes such as whale fillet (a controversial choice), shark meat, or sheep head if you dare. You can’t go wrong with a bowl of traditional Icelandic meat soup. Lamb is cut into small pieces and boiled (bones and all) with rice, potatoes, turnips, carrots, onions, and herbs – it’s hearty, filling, and warms you up immediately.
Beer Day 200,000 March 1 R E Y K J AV I K
P o p u la t i o n :
94 . collIDE
What not to do in Iceland:
L e av e w i t h a :
Book
Iceland sells more b o o ks p e r ca p i ta than any other Nation in the world
Camp with 4 tents on uncultivated ground for a single night, without the owner’s permission
Three tents are okay
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: HARPA Music Hall; ICELANDIC HORSE; Hallgrímskirkja CHURCH AND LEIF ERICSON STATUE; Höfnin AKA The Harbour is a traditional Icelandic restaurant. BOTTOM: Gullfoss WATERFALL
COLLIDE .
by ethan alley PHOTOS BY ETHAN ALLEY AND ROSS BELFER
96 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Israel may seem like a faraway destination, a bucket list trip you book solely for its historical significance and natural wonders. We traveled for a different reason: to be a part of Tune in Tel Aviv, Israel's international live music conference and showcase where we hosted our own day of Culture Collide Tel Aviv (tuneintlv.com). We discovered a flourishing city — more than 15 new boutique hotels have opened in the last three years along with endless restaurants and craft breweries. Its people live every day to the extreme. They love, eat, party, and express passion every day like it could be their last.
ISRAEL
P opulatio n :
8 . 2M SQ FOOTAGE
20,770KM (8,019sq mi) Leave knowing how to:
Bargain It’s actually expected
of shoppers RULE THE AIRWAVES Hide your unauthorized
radio station from
officials for five years. After that, it's legal. CULTURE COLLIDE . 97
HEAR The city’s music scene is exploding — both with local bands and the growing number of international bands passing through. There is a hunger to hear the newest music and a passion for supporting these artists. Israelis hear an album the same day Americans do. They stream it from the same services we use and read the same blogs to compare thoughts. The world has gotten a whole lot closer together. And that’s amazing for an industry of bands looking for more people to inspire.
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO A visa is not required for travel to Israel. All you need is a valid US passport. There are direct flights from Los Angeles and New York daily.
Culture Collide Tel Aviv Flyer 98 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
CULTURE COLLIDE . 99
Walking from Jaffa through the heart of Tel Aviv late at night isn’t necessary advised, but it’s a wonderful way to see the city. Other than the occasional scooter, it’s very quiet and special. Strolling though a 2,000-year-old fortress underneath the moonlight in search of a late night shawarma is a mandatory adventure.
100 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
That's a lot of baklava. You'll find the delicious, flaky dessert all over the city.
DRINK
The craft beer revolution is on. Five years ago your choice of beverage was Goldstar or wine. Now, there are dozens of amazing local breweries (The Dancing Camel, Lela Brewery, Negev Brewery). Most restaurants and coffee houses have a terrific selection on tap. Our favorite of the lot had to be Alexander. (Possibly because the logo is a flying turtle.)
Friendly felines roam the streets. It's best to let them be.
KICK BACK AND RELAX ‌ IN STYLE
Brown TLV Hotel 25 Kalisher Street browntlv.com Israel's only member of the prestigious Design Hotels group, Brown TLV hotel embodies an Ian Schrager-feel in the heart of Tel Aviv. The chic hotel is a favorite of travelers and Tel Avivians. Stay in one of 30 stylish rooms and suites, hang at the outdoor cocktail bar with weekly DJ's and art-focused events, and soak up the Middle Eastern sun on the rooftop bar which comes equipped with a Jacuzzi and outdoor showers.
Brown Beach House 64 Ha'Yarkon Street browntlv.com The sister hotel of Brown TLV Hotel is slated to open April 2015. Its prime beach location (a one-minute walk to the city’s beaches), contemporary design, 40 spacious rooms and suites, and private sun terraces with sea and city views promise to delight. Amenities include an indoor "Urban Beach" lounge, Kosher gourmet restaurant, spa, and business facilities.
102 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Dan Tel Aviv 99 Ha’Yarkon Street danhotels.co.il/TelAvivHotels el Aviv's historic flagship property the T Dan Tel Aviv is a luxurious, five-star haven overlooking Frishman-Gordon Beach known for its iconic rainbow facade. Soak in the scenery from sea view rooms and suites, take a dip in indoor and outdoor pools for year-round swimming, rub elbows with celebrities and dignitaries, and sample what many claim is the best Israeli breakfast in Tel Aviv.
The Norman Tel Aviv 23-25 Nachmani Street thenorman.com Tel Aviv's newest and most luxurious property, the stunning Norman hotel is comprised of two meticulously preserved Bauhausstyle historic buildings. Its prime location is adjacent to the city's King Albert Square in the heart of the "White City," a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Norman features 50 luxurious rooms and suites; a cocktail bar with an extensive menu of traditional and rare drinks; DININGS, the London-born Japanese-style tapas restaurant; and a phenomenal restaurant and rooftop infinity pool.
Kuli Alma kulialma.com Barely a year old, Kuli Alma (Aramaic for “The Whole World”) is already the star of the city’s nightlife scene. It’s all about the music in the space owned and operated by a collective of Tel Aviv's coolest DJs, artists, and party people. Mix and mingle in the courtyard, dance to a state-of-the-art sound system, and check out exhibitions (photography, sculpture, visual art) in their art gallery. We love a late night haunt that keeps us well fed — think local brews and cocktails and a vegetarian menu. Relive the night with recorded electronic, world, bass, and rhythmic sets on Kuli Alma’s SoundCloud page. CULTURE COLLIDE . 103
SPREAD THE NEWS Forget your local Mediterranean spot. Israeli hummus is on another level. Hummus joints are open early in the morning and close when they run out, usually around 2 p.m. They serve only one item — hummus — though you do get a few options. We prefer to dive in for the “complete plate.” This includes a tray of onions and peppers. Then you get hummus, topped with fava, olive oil, and possibly some chick peas. On the side, two pits. Simple. Amazing. Perfect.
ISRAELI BANDS SOUND OFF ON THEIR FAVORITE SPOTS
Acollective
Lucille Crew
JoinACollective.com
LucilleCrew.com
We sound like: Acollective
We sound like: The Roots and the Gorillaz met by
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hassan
accident in a Brooklyn Studio one hot summer afternoon.
Where: Ha’ Dolfin St., Jaffa
Favorite Hummus Spot: Hands down, Halil restaurant.
Why: Hummus wars are notoriously bloody, with
Where: It’s in Ramle (a city located 20 minutes south-
a plethora of opinions sadly guided by misleading
east of Tel Aviv).
propaganda. Abu Hassan is hummus the way it’s
Why: It’s the best hummus in Israel by far. It tastes like
meant to be experienced — spicy, lemony, thrown
god’s toothpaste, and my own mother literally went into
hurriedly at your table, and evil stares if you (god
labor with me while eating there.
Noga Erez
forbid) overstay your welcome after finishing, and a post-meal cigarette overlooking the ocean. The
Adi Ulmansky
NogaErez.com
ultimate natural high.
AdiUlmansky.com
I sound like: Noise going through a thick cloud. Or just
I sound like: Myself. I’m trying to create a combination
James Blake, FKA twigs, and St Vincent.
Kalimist K Boog
of lots of different styles and influences. My music is a
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hassan
Kalimistkboog.com
mix of electronica with R&B and hip hop, but I’m trying
Where: Jaffa
We sound like: Modern Funk & Hip Hop
to make it as “mine” as possible — to be a new voice and
Why: Tastes great, located near the flea market (though
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hassan
sound and to create unique productions.
you cant really shop after a meal like this).
Where: Jaffa
Favorite Hummus Spot: Hummus Beit Lehem
Why: Because it’s simply the best
Where: In Florentin, Tel Aviv.
Dorine Levy
Why: Well first of all it’s just really good and always
DorineLevy.com
Los Caparos
fresh. Apart from that I’ve been in this neighborhood for
I sound like: Etheral dream pop
LosCaparosMusic.com
a few years now, through so many ups and downs, and
Favorite Hummus Spot: There are many but one of
We sound like: The band Putin forbade his daughter
this place was always my favorite place to eat at, so I
my favorites is Abu Gosh
from hearing (a Russian Israeli groove monster).
guess it also symbolizes something a bit deeper than just
Where: Tel Aviv
Favorite Hummus Spot: The best hummus in Israel is
the taste of the hummus…it kinda feels like home to me.
Why: Because it’s very good and a magical place on the
the original Abu Ahdam
mountain on the way to Jerusalem.
Where: Located in Kfar Yassif in the North of Israel.
Mesh
Why: Hummus from the North is always better —
Soundcloud.com/mesh-cohen
Kokoro
especially this one — sweet, sweet. And Abu Hadam is a
I sound like: Like grandma’s records in an MPC.
iamkokoro.com
great person.
Favorite Hummus Spot: Ha Kerem
I sound like: If Die Antwoord went to a sordid sex
Where: Herzel
club, took Poliça’s vocoder with them and then hijacked
Why: Because the food is made perfectly.
a trap-fueled dance floor… Favorite Hummus Spot: I know this may seem hard to believe, but I’m an Israeli who doesn’t eat hummus. All my friends who do eat Hummus go to Abu Hassan. Where: Jaffa Why: Everyone seems to be really happy (and full) after they leave Abu Hassan.
104 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Mo Rayon Soundcloud.com/morayon
OSOG (On Shoulders of Giants)
I sound like: A mixture between the club and
Osogfamily.com
hallucinations.
We sound like: Tom Waits
Favorite Hummus Spot: The Suri
meets Crybaby meets Django
Where: The Yemenite Grove
Reinhardt.
Why: It’s dope af. always the same taste. every time.
Favorite Hummus Spot: Currently, The Golden Grain
Garden City Movement
Where: Florentin, Tel-Aviv
Bldg5records.com
Why: Flawless execution, vibrant
We sound like: Your soul.
atmosphere
Favorite Hummus Spot: Everyone will probably say Abu Hasan but we pick Imad.
Tamir Grinberg
Where: Nazareth
Tamirgrinberg.com
Why: There’s many theories and opinions about hummus
I sound like: Nobody.
DORJ
in Israel. You can’t it really go wrong with well known
Favorite Hummus Spot:
Dorjmusic.com
names, but trying other places such as Imad in the North
Cafe Noir
We sound like: Stevie Wonder and Jai Paul holding
is an experience.
Where: Rothchild, Nahmani.
hands in a glass cage of emotion.
Why: It’s actually a great schnitzel Place.
Favorite Hummus Spot: Shlomo & Doron
The hummus is a surprise perk.
(open since 1937).
Bucharest
Where: Kerem HaTemaneim
Facebook.com/bucharestband We sound like: The Smiths covering Elvis
MAYOR
Why: Because they simply serve three types of glorious
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Ahadam!
Soundcloud.com/mayorchannel
hummus, my favorite being hummus ful (hummus topped
Where: Karlibach St, Tel Aviv
We sound like: Israeli food: hot, spicy, and
with egg and hot fava beans). Coupled with insanely fresh
Why: It has the perfect balance; It’s not too diluted
unforgettable.
pita, it’s a perfect meal.
and not too firm, it’s not too sour and not too sweet —
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hasan
it’s just great.
Where: Ha’ Dolfin St 1, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Mr.Black
Why: Because it’s as good as it comes. There’s always
MrBlackMusic.com
a line outside. They never give a fuck.
I sound like: Electronic dance music
SAZ
Favorite Hummus Spot: Hummus Said
Alsaz.net I sound like: Ethnic hip hop.
Yotam Ben Horin
Where: Acre (Akko)
Favorite Hummus Spot: Samir’s
Facebook.com/yotambenhorin
Why: It is the best and the freshest hummus!
Where: Ramle
I sound like: A mix of indie folk with punk roots.
Why: It’s the best place on Earth.
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hassan Where: Jaffa
Tamar Antler
Why: It has the best masabacha.
TamarAntler.com I sound like: Bjork, Portishead, Kimbra
Electric Zoo
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hasan / Ali Karavan
Facebook.com/electriczooband
Where: Jaffa, Tel Aviv
We sound like: Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Led Zeppelin,
Why: I used to eat there all the time during my army
Wolfmother, Rory Gallagher.
service at Galei Tzahal (a radio network which is oper-
Favorite Hummus Spot: Blue Bus
ated by the Israel Defense Forces), and I absolutely
Where: It’s located in Karkur.
fell in love with this hummus. Besides the great food,
Why: Because it’s magical and you can’t finish your dish.
I love the whole vibe of this place, especially the fact
It’s a great value for money.
that people who don’t know each other sit at the same table and hang.
SKYROADS SkyRoadsBand.com
Roy Dahan
We sound like: Nile Rogers after a Hot Chip show.
RoyDahan.com
Favorite Hummus Spot: Abu Hasan
I sound like: Myself, Morrissey, or
Where: Jaffa
Nick Drake.
Why: Does the sun go on shining
Favorite Hummus Spot: Beit Lechem.
Why does the sea rush to shore
Where: Florentin in Tel Aviv.
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world
Why: The texture of the hummus.
‘Cause you don’t love me any more.
CULTURE COLLIDE . 105
Honus Honus (man man)
Lives to die
agaIN By Lauren Lumsden 106 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
“I think I’m just trying to be Laura Palmer. Minus the wrapped-in-plastic and being beautiful.” “We went to the Louvre on our tour with Gogol Bordello, and I hadn’t been there since I was a little kid. I just felt like the Mona Lisa needed to have me dead in front of her. Security was not feeling it. They picked me up off the floor and took me out of the room.”
The rules of using the “deadagain” hashtag on Instagram are as follows: • You must be lying flat on your stomach. • Your head must be down, your arms by your side, and your legs together. • And, lastly, one of your shoes must be off – unless, say, a guard stops you before you have time to remove it because you’re in the Mona Lisa room at the Louvre in Paris.
culture collide . 107
Ryan Kattner, a.k.a. Honus Honus, the lead singer of Man Man, came up with the idea in 2013 when he was on tour with the band and got a bad case of the flu. “I felt dead,” he said, “so I just started posing in dead positions.“ Since then, he’s kicked the bucket everywhere from the fake Prada store in middleof-nowhere Marfa, Texas, to – yes – the gallery housing arguably the most famous piece of art in the world (out of which he was escorted immediately). Wherever the band has toured, Kattner has died – again, and posted the picture to his Instagram feed. For any meme-nerds out there who think this is just planking, you’re wrong. There’s an extra lifeless quality to “deadagain.” The aim is not to gleefully balance on handrails — the more it looks like a murder scene, the better. And there’s the missing shoe element, unique to Kattner’s hashtag. “I think I’m just trying to be Laura Palmer,” he said. “Minus the wrapped-in-plastic and being beautiful. “I want to print them out now and have an art show.” “When we were driving from L.A. to San Diego, we got to stop at Tony Hawk’s offices, so I took a ‘deadagain.’”
108 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
This was in taken in downtown Glasgow at a Christmas street fair. I had to wait for the 5-year-old girl ahead of me to finish her globe time before I could climb in and get a face full of disgusting down feathers. It smelled like a rabbit hutch/Chuck E Cheese ball pit in there. And yes, I confused the locals.
culture collide . 109
This one was in a weird suburb of Rome. We were on tour, opening for our buddies Gogol Bordello, so we had the rare luxury of a lot of free time to kill during the day and we usually spent it doing cultural things (museums, galleries, and such) but there wasn't anything at all around the bizarro discotheque club we were playing. Except for this gilded pope fella. Later, when I was loading gear off the completely dark stage, I tripped and diced my finger open real badly on a vocal monitor. The "deadagain" I did in the filthy, Italian ambulance outside the club kinda trumps this pic. Note to others, never do a "deadagain" in a filthy, Italian ambulance.
110 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
“We did this one at a Whole Foods in Connecticut. No one cared.”
“This one is awesome. It’s me with Matt Pinfield [former video deejay on MTV]. He looks concerned. He’s actually trying to help me up. “
culture collide . 111
“Here’s one where a bunch of kids wanted to pose with me at once. It looks totally Jonestown. A Brian Jonestown concert.”
This was taken in Philly one night when I was walking around and drinking with my painter buddy Aldo (Buffone). It was really dirty but sometimes you have to lay facedown in a bulldozer to get the best shot, right? Words to not live by. 112 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
“After I got this picture I was just covered in grit and dirt. And as I was getting up off the ground, there was a local news team there, covering how people were breaking in and stealing bags. So I got on camera and did an interview with them covered in dirt.�
culture collide . 113
PAPER MAN MAN Paper Man Man needs your help playing dead. Cut Honus out - mind his toes - and recreate his crazy #deadagain antics anywhere in the world.
114 . collIDE
Meet four royal flushes photos: Simon Jobson
Loo. WC. Porcelain Throne. Powder Room. No matter what you call it, it's where shit happens. But(t) did you know, we've encountered some truly great temples of convenience?
COMPOSTING TOILET ON AN ECO FARM (DEVON, ENGLAND)
(somewhere in Manila, Philippines)
Disney princesses use the bathroom, too (Sรถdermalm in Stockholm)
The view for your bum at Flesh and Buns restaurant in London COLLIDE .
CARRY ON ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR TRAVEL BAG
Shares 5 Current Obsessions
1. David Foster Wallace — The Pale King
4. Various Artists — Jende Ri Pelenge
I’m about halfway through this novel as we speak, it’s DFW’s final unfinished
An incredible Soul Jazz compilation that unveils
and posthumous work. It deals with the unattractive theme of boredom and
the music of San Basilio de Palenque, an African
happy/melancholy/
his philosophical musings on the topic are characteristically profound. I love
settlement in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
so happy with
the way he describes general ennui as a thin, penetrable layer of consciousness
Rich and hypnotically rhythmic, it’s no surprise
that exposes an undercurrent of psychic pain that we all feel. It’s a fascinating
that Soul Jazz commissioned a group of elec-
point of view, given all the pulpy distractions we have at our fingertips these
tronic artists to remix these tracks on the second
days. So far, it’s one of his most challenging and fascinating books, I can’t wait
disc of this release. I can’t decide which half I
to see what comes next.
prefer, the originals are just as party-worthy
Now that Warpaint has been making us
last year’s selftitled release and 2015 tour dates, we asked
as the appropriations. It’s a beautiful insight 2. Ian Svenonius — The Psychic Soviet
into a musical cross-culture that I otherwise
One of my all-time favorite books and one that I keep returning to. It’s a collec-
would have been ignorant of if it weren’t for this
Mozgawa to give us
tion of dense psycho-social morsels ranging from corporate vampirism to why
release. There’s a colorful documentary on the
a handful of things
Swedish girls love Jarvis Cocker. It has the flow of a late night conversation with
region which brings everything into context —
a mouthy, well read stranger at a party who may or may not be on a large amount
definitely recommended.
drummer Stella
currently making her day.
of cocaine. Svenonius is the lead singer of The Make Up as well as other notable D.C. bands. He is a true cultural scholar, a slightly more challenging version of
5. Marc Maron’s WTF podcasts
Chuck Klosterman. He recently released a new book, Supernatural Strategies
I’m new to the podcast arena and this one is a
for Making a Rock ‘n’ Roll Group, which is a collection of fake seances conducted
fabulous start. I’ve probably listened to 100 + of
with dead celebrities who pass their judgement on the current state of pop
these without the slightest pang of time wasted.
culture. Sound ridiculous? It is, but completely entertaining.
Maron has a self-depracating style that, with the right guest, allows people to truly let their guard
3. Caribou — Swim
down and drop the script. There is something
I was a little late to this record (try three years), but it is a beauty, from start
truly valuable about listening to two people talk
to finish. Every few years an album comes along that I form a really needy
for upwards of an hour, mostly because it’s a
dependence on and this has been it for 2014. Luckily, the new album [Our
legitimate novelty nowadays. I get to peek into
Love] just came out, so I get the perfect segue from one release to the next. I
the vulnerabilities and failures of a smorgasbord
love the way Dan Snaith tastefully blends psychedelic and orchestral music
of characters that I admire; Nick Cave, David
with intelligent house. It’s a common blend these days but I don’t think
Sedaris, Tim Heidecker. The Louis CK one is a
anyone does it with this much tact and feeling. “Bowls” is a real standout — it
real treat; you can listen to two old, estranged
induces unnerving jealously and reverence. My chronic addiction is still yet
friends air our their dirty laundry and come to
to wear this record out for me!
a really heart-melting understanding with each other. Kind of beautiful! — STEPHANIE ALMAZAN
116 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
Stella Mozgawa in Pula, Croatia, last summer. photo credit: Robin Laananen
Warpaint's Stella Mozgawa
The Perfect Pussy Front Woman Lends Her Library Meredith Graves, front woman of critical darling hardcore band Perfect Pussy hails from upstate New York. She has since moved to Brooklyn and is currently touring with her band. She’s also a tour de force on her own, performing spoken word, making an appearance at Smith College to discuss shaun regan
gender and authenticity in music, and writing for multiple music and lifestyle sites. Fascinated to know what else makes Graves tick, we asked what books accompanied her on a recent tour.
We just got back from a month long tour of Europe
3. A Moveable Feast
and, since I didn’t have cell service on long drives, I
Hemingway is awesome. Our tour started in Paris, but I didn’t read this until we’d
ended up reading five books in the course of a month — four classics and one essential piece of music writing, just to break up the nerdy stuff.
moved on to Berlin. I’d read Fitzgerald earlier in the year (Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, ANDTender is the Night- I kind of had a moment) and I thought I had him on lock until I read Hemingway’s essay about taking him to the Louvre to assuage his severe anxieties about his small penis. Between that and the descriptions of hanging out in Gertrude Stein’s apartment, this book made me ache for a time machine. Also, I read it in a few hours — short books are awesome. 4. Our Band Could Be Your Life I read this book cover to cover probably five times when I was in college and cited
1. Pride and Prejudice
it in loads of papers, but it’s been years since I’ve revisited it. I’m completely glad
Based on the people I’ve known who love this book, I was expecting a
I did, I honestly feel like I understand it so much better now. When the subject at
dusty bodice-ripper — turns out this book is funny as hell! It deals very
hand is the arts, a truly good writer will tell you the facts in a manner as creative
directly with issues of class and gender, all filtered through the experi-
as their subject. This book is 100 percent history and facts, but presented in such
ences of a cynical protagonist who harbors a healthy distrust of men.
a way that at times, it’s really a page turner. I learned new things about bands I’ve
The younger Bennett sisters are my favorite, because they’re the exact
loved for more than a decade. I suggest this book for everybody that likes music.
same as any 13- or 14-year-old girl of today — obsessed with the latest fashions, raising hell, and chasing boys. The love story isn’t bad, either
5. Anna Karenina
— Elizabeth Bennett outright refuses to settle, she waits to make sure
With two main plots and countless subplots, a web of relationships so nuanced
the man she’s in love with is actually not a total goober, and thus ends up
I had to look up a flow chart, and the two most interesting main characters I’ve
with her intellectual equal.
ever encountered — Anna, a beloved member of high society whose affair and subsequent fall from grace finally crack her elegant facade and send her head-
2. Wuthering Heights
long into mental illness, and Levin, a former government figure and landowner
I was having a Kate Bush moment and decided to roll with it, not know-
(and obviously a stand-in for Tolstoy himself) who has multiple existential crises
ing what I was in for. Now I can barely write about this book because it
that lead him back to his land, away from high society, toward class equality and
depressed me so much. A novel about a psychologically manipulative
anarchy, and eventually, towards Christianity — well, it’s hard to explain. It’s the
sociopath who literally makes it his life’s mission to damage people as
hardest book I’ve ever read. I’d never read any of the big Russian novels, and I’m
much as possible. It isn’t even satisfying when he dies. This book will
glad I started with this one, because now it’s my favorite book.
give me the creeps forever. It’s miserable. — STEPHANIE ALMAZAN
culture collide . 117
CARRY ON ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR TRAVEL BAG
Body/Head
Bill Nace’s transportive mix of experimental, psychedelic, footwork, jazz, and more:
Jake Meginsky - “sgriob” Odwalla88 - “Untitled” DJ Rashad - “I Don’t Give a Fuck” Jimmy Giuffre - “Trav'lin Light” Schurt Kwitters - “Untitled” The Frame - “Doctor Doctor” Harmonia - “Watussi” Spacemen 3 - “An Evening of Contemporary Sitar Music” Mat Brinkman- “Track 2” (Off of Here Come the Mixes) Myriam Gendron - “Solace”
“It’s kind of my life,” says Bill Nace about traveling. “I’ve been touring for like ten years so it’s kind of just what I do.” Before forming the noise duo Body/ Head with Kim Gordon in 2012, touring might have meant in the states and in a van. Now it means walking around cities like Istanbul, with a fan they met at their show the night before. Body/Head’s music exists in the distance, down a long corridor that elongates as you walk through it, like an apparition grounded by familiar sounds of feedback of guitar and sleepily primal vocals, taking new form when played live. They utilize every corner of the stage, weaving through amps and mic stands without infringing on the other’s space, two people stuck inside the same dream. “It’s the only [band I play in] with vocals. And, you know, it’s Kim. I mean, touring with someone who people have known and followed for 30 years is just a different thing on a lot of levels.” — Rachael Roth
Heidi Bivens
Coast to Coast Playlist
The talented fashion stylist, editor, and costume designer may have undressed the cast of Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers, but this is not a glow sticks and margaritas playlist. Heidi jet sets with an elevated mix of punk rock, hiphop, and hypnotic dance tracks.
“Two Weeks” - FKA twigs Current girl crush’s break out single. She has an original sound and sick vogueing dance moves. “Monument” - Röyksopp and Robyn Hypnotic song and lyrics. Long at 9:57 but Robyn makes every second count. “One More” - Elliphant A mash up of Iggy Azalea and M.I.A. from Iceland. “7/11” - Beyoncé New dance anthem with music video inspired by Spring Breakers, no doubt! “Shabba” - ASAP Ferg The beat and track have that dark edge I like in a lot of recent hip hop. “Angels” - ASAP Rocky Nice follow up beat to “Shabba.” “Smoke Chambers” - Wiz Kalifa Mac DeMarco sample here, who I am kinda obsessed with. “Let Her Go” - Mac DeMarco This guy can do no wrong in my ears. Salad Days is one of the most underrated albums of 2014.
“Put Your Number in My Phone” - Ariel Pink Love this single off Pom Pom. Silverlake hipster anthem. “Honey Bunny” - Girls Similar Cali vibe to Ariel Pink. Upbeat and fun to listen to. “Everything is Embarrassing” - Skye Ferreira I love Skye’s voice and with production from Dev Hynes, this track never gets old. “Oblivion” - Grimes Love this little weirdo. This song and video blew me away when it first came out. “Stoned and Starving” - Parquet Courts Reminds me of old punk noise bands I used to listen to. “Waiting Room” - Fugazi A hardcore anthem. I’m nostalgic for Fugazi; I grew up going to their D.C. shows at Fort Reno. “Whole Wide World” - Wreckless Eric A classic! Love the energy of this song. “Roadrunner” - The Modern Lovers I’m an east coast gal, so I naturally have a fondness for all things Jonathan Richman. “The Passenger” - Iggy Pop One of my favorite songs to travel to, and Iggy can do no wrong.
118 . TRAVEL WITH PURPOSE
— STEPHANIE ALMAZAN
body/hea by KASTOR PODGORSKI, heidi bivens by caitlin mitchell
Unearthly Travels with
Purity Ring
Melodies on Repeat Corin Roddick, one half of the ethereal electropop duo Purity Ring likes to space out during long trips. "I don’t really dedicate a period of my day to just listening to music and zoning out and thinking about things, so traveling is definitely ideal for me in that it’s sort of the only place I can really get that done. If I get good ideas, that’s usually when they happen and I try to harness that. I like to listen to music that has repetitive, melodic elements to it that build, renata raksha
music that feels like it’s growing as the track goes on." Corin gives us his soundtrack of travel music standbys, from Björk to Taylor Swift.
Jon Hopkins - “Light Through the Veins” I generally don’t listen to a lot of instrumental music; I often need vocals to focus on to keep my attention. But this song has this incredible, repeating melody with a different chord progression underneath it that always lines up in a different way and I can’t really tell where it’s always starting and ending. It’s also just incredibly beautiful. This is one of those songs I’ve been able to appreciate at any point [in time] since I heard it years ago. Radiohead - “Street Spirit” A classic song that I really loved in high school. I like a lot of Radiohead music, but “Street Spirit” always stood out to me as something I would listen to on a trip because it has these repetitive guitar patterns and tense strings that come in at different times which create a great atmosphere. It’s incredible to zone out to and think about things. Sigur Rós - “Bren Stein” I love this song because it’s a nice push forward from Sigur Rós into a more aggressive territory. It has more edgy, distorted bass and guitar tones, but at the same time it totally sounds like everything you would want from a Sigur Rós song. It’s very beautiful and very lush. Pretty much anything from Sigur Rós is great to listen to when you’re traveling, but this to me is a standout song from them. Grouper - “Clearing” The individual elements alone are not something that would usually stand out to me — it’s just voice and piano and that’s it. It’s totally minimal, very stripped down. But the way she combines the two with her incredibly soft vocal delivery almost melds in with the piano and becomes one thing. It’s very hypnotic, with a very memorable melody.
Deafheaven - “Sunbather” This song is an incredible combination of really aggressive edgy sounds, like the drums and the screaming, but then the guitars are super lush and beautiful. It’s sort of like an older post rock thing. Having the two sounds combined in that way is something I haven’t heard anyone pull off quite in the way Deafheaven does. It’s quite a long song; it goes through a few different movements, and it’s super cinematic which is something that I always want to listen to when I’m traveling; anything cinematic that feels like it’s moving through different atmospheres is a vibe that I would go for. Taylor Swift - “Treacherous” Probably my favorite Taylor Swift song. I feel funny trying to tell someone what I like about a Taylor Swift song. I feel like a young teen, being like, “It’s so emotional, it makes me feel things” but it’s true — this song makes me feel things. This song has — just in terms of songwriting — one of the best bridges I’ve really ever heard. It ends up being an incredible centerpiece for the track. I usually don’t really care for bridges; it’s something that I would often skip over in my songwriting and composition but this song alone turned that around for me. A bridge can be the most beautiful part of a song. That’s something that affected some of the structure and approach that I took on writing our new album.
Björk — “Unison” This is the closing song on Vespertine, which is by far my favorite Björk album. It’s the most concluding, perfect wrap up to anything that I’ve ever heard. It closes the album in a great way but it’s also a great thing to listen to any time you feel like you need a little bit of closure, like at the end of the trip or at the end of the day. And it has some of the most beautiful harp sounds I’ve ever heard. Drake - “305 To My City” This is a standout Drake song to me just because it has a really great melodic structure and nice, atmospheric chords and bass tones underneath. Circle Takes the Square “In the Nervous Flight of Sunday” They have a male/female vocal trade off thing that goes on throughout the whole track, and the juxtaposition between their vocal stylings gives the song a unique vibe. On most trips, for some reason, I will always put on a Circle Takes the Square album. I can’t go on a trip without doing that. Maybe it’s because it’s an album that I really loved when I was younger and when I’m traveling I tend to always want to play things that I connected with long ago to have familiar feelings. Mew- “Silas the Magic Car” I actually heard this song for the first time when I was on the first tour I ever went on. I remember it really clearly, driving through an interesting landscape in the Mid West. This song came on and I really connected with the whole experience and staring at a highway and being aware of your surroundings. Again, it’s another track I always revisit — Mew have become one my favorite bands since then. — Rachael Roth
culture collide . 119
SPRING picks
BY CHRIS PHELPS
Deep Ellum IPA
Red and White
A flagship beer for Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Deep Ellum
Dogfish Head’s Red and White is a heavy 10% ABV Belgian-style
IPA is a 7% ABV American IPA brewed in Dallas, Texas. It has a
Witbier brewed with coriander, orange peel, and fermented with
citrusy hop aroma and pours an amber color with a thick head. It’s
pinot noir juice. It has a wheat aroma with slightly sweet orange
surprisingly an easy drinker for an IPA. A bitter flavor that’s balanced
characteristics and a spicy flavor with lots of coriander and citrus
by tropical fruit and floral characteristics. Deep Ellum IPA pairs well
notes. Overall it’s an interesting take on a Belgian Wit but not as
with typical American bar fare. deepellumbrewing.com
interesting as it could have been and left us wanting more from this
Deep Ellum Brewing Company
Dogfish Head
self proclaimed “Off Centered” brewery. dogfish.com
Foot Print
Peach Sour
Odell Brewing Co
Odell Foot Print is an ambitious effort featuring 11 ingredients
512 Brewing Co.
from each of the 11 states it distributes to (a.k.a. its “footprint”).
512 Peach Sour is one of the more elusive small batch beers to hit
Though admittedly not usually a fan of strong ales, I decided
the Austin beer scene recently. It has a strong sour peach aroma
to give this a try anyway based mostly on intrigue of the list of
with lots of sour flavor and carbonation up front, which eventually
ingredients, including Arizona Prickly Pear, Texas grapefruit, and
begins to mellow and highlight the peach flavors as it warms up.
New Mexico green chili. It has a sweet aroma and tastes mostly of
Peach Sour is a strong effort by 512, which isn’t specifically known
grain and malt sweetness with a bitter hoppy flavor and quite a bit
for brewing sour beers, and is definitely worth a try if you’re lucky
of booziness. As it mellows there are more subtle fruit and pepper
enough to find a bottle. 512brewing.com
notes. It drinks very similarly to a Belgian dubbel or tripel but with less spice. At 9.5% ABV, Odell Foot Print packs a boozy punch, so
Rocket Fuel
it is best shared or served with a hearty meal. odellbrewing.com
8th Wonder Brewery
Wild Streak Brooklyn Brewery
Rocket Fuel is a Vietnamese coffee porter from 8th Wonder Brewery in Houston, Texas, infused with cold brew coffee and lactose. It has a sweet — but not too sweet — coffee aroma
Wild Streak is a barrel-aged Wild Brett Ale from Brooklyn Brewery.
and taste, and drinks almost like an iced coffee. At 4.6% ABV
Weighing in at 10% ABV this is definitely a great beer to share,
this is a smooth and easy drinker with lots of flavor. It pairs
but is a surprisingly smooth and easy drink without being overly
well with desserts including vanilla, chocolate, and berries.
boozy. It has a distinct bourbon aroma with sweet bourbon, vanilla,
8thwonderbrew.com
caramel, and oak flavors as well as a bit of earthy funk derived from the Brettanomyces (yeast). We recommend picking up a bottle to age for a couple years and saving it for the perfect dinner occasion
Festina Peche Dogfish Head
with friends or family. brooklynbrewery.com
Festina Peche is a 4.5% ABV Neo-Berliner Weisse from Dogfish
Bomb!
Prairie Artisan Ales
Head that’s brewed with peaches. This is surprisingly one of the smoothest and most drinkable beers Dogfish Head offers, and is a great option for a summertime sipping beer. It has a fresh
Tulsa’s Prairie Artisan Ales Bomb! is an imperial stout aged with
sweet peach flavor profile and a pleasant fruity aroma, along
espresso beans, cacao nibs, vanilla, and ancho chile peppers. It
with some slight peachy sourness. Festina Peche pairs well with
has a strong chocolate and vanilla smell and strong chocolate
picnic food such as sandwiches, salads, or generally lighter fare.
flavor that starts to balance out as it warms up. After a while you
dogfish.com
pick up on the more complex coffee and vanilla flavors and notice a slight mouth and throat burn from the peppers. At 13% and full of flavor, tread lightly unless you plan on sharing this one. prairieales.com
120 . collIDE
Boomslang
Rogness Brewing Company
Community Witbier Community Beer Company
Boomslang is a 5.5% India Pale Lager from Rogness Brewing Company in
Community Witbier is a traditional belgian-style white, or wheat
Pflugerville, TX, just outside of Austin. It has a sweet malty aroma and
beer, from Community Beer Company in Dallas, TX, and is
a hoppy flavor. It drinks crisp, clean, and balanced like a lager but more
offered as a self-proclaimed “warm weather libation.” It pours a
flavorful like a typical IPA. It’s reminiscent of Brooklyn Lager, though
hazy golden color with a white head that dissipates quickly, and
not quite as sweet. Boomslang pairs well with American food such as
has a spicy wheat aroma with notes of citrus and yeast. The focus
hamburgers and hot dogs. rognessbrewing.com
of flavor is a well-balanced blend of wheat, coriander spice, and orange peel. At 5.2% ABV and unfiltered, aka full of yeast, we
Lips of Faith: La Folie New Belgium Brewery
found this beer to be rather filling, but still crisp and refreshing: a solid choice for Spring as the weather begins to heat up. communitybeer.com
La Folie is a 7% ABV Flanders-style sour brown ale offering in New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, and is aged one to three years in oak foeders. It has a significantly fruity aroma with hints of apple, cherry, plum, and
La Saison Des Festivals
citrus, and has a similar fruity mouth puckering sour flavor. For fans of
Grapevine Craft Brewery
sour beers this is a great beer to sip on and is one of the better, widely
La Saison Des Festivals is a Spring Belgian Saison brewed by
distributed American sour beers. newbelgium.com
Grapevine Craft Brewery in Grapevine, TX, as a part of their signature Bonnie Blue Series. Its citrusy and fruity characteristics
Wookey Jack
give it an almost wine-like aroma, reminiscent of a Sauvignon blanc. Though on the drier side, it has a fruity flavor with a
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
slightly peppery finish, and is highly carbonated, as is typical with
Wookey Jack is the brewery’s Black Rye IPA offering in their “Jack” IPA
the genre. At 7% ABV it hides its booziness well and is a good
series. It pours nearly opaque and has a dark malty aroma with significant
option for sharing in warmer weather.
notes of piney, citrusy hops. Wookey Jack has a good balance of dark
grapevineontap.com
roasted malt and hoppy — but not too hoppy — flavor. It drinks smooth for a strong beer at 8.3% ABV. This brew pairs well with burgers, fries, and typical American bar fare. firestonebeer.com
No Limits Hefeweizen Two Roads Brewing Co.
El Chingón IPA
No Limits Hefeweizen is a 5% ABV traditional German style wheat beer offered year-round by Two Roads Brewing in Stratford, CT.
Four Corners Brewing Co.
It pours a cloudy hay colored yellow with about an inch of foamy
El Chingón is a 7.6% ABV American IPA offering from Four Corners
white head that dissipates rather quickly. It has a sweet citrus aroma
Brewing Co. in Dallas, TX. It pours a golden orange color, has a sweet
and drinks with a similarly sweet wheaty flavor with hints of citrus,
hoppy aroma, and its blend of various American hops gives it a piney hop
banana, and a touch of clove. This beer is extremely easy drinking
flavor with hints of fruit and citrus. There is a fair bit of malty after taste
and refreshing, which makes us glad they decided to package it in
which balances out the hoppiness quite nicely. This well balanced IPA
a 16oz tallboy can. Though not reinventing the wheel here, Two
comes in a bold, well-designed, can featuring a unique 360 degree top. Just
Roads offers a solid take on a traditional hefeweizen, a perfect
be careful not to spill! fcbrewing.com
option for the approaching warmer months and baseball season. tworoadsbrewing.com
Greenbelt Farmhouse Ale Armadillo Ale Works Greenbelt Farmhouse Ale is an “American-Belgian-Weizen hybrid” from Denton’s Armadillo Ale Works, though it is actually brewed at Deep Ellum Brewery in Dallas, TX. There is a significant amount of coriander and peppery spice flavor up front with a lingering bitterness, stemming from the grapefruit peel. At 5.2% ABV it is a little heavy to be considered
Chris Phelps is a photographer, writer, and beer and taco enthusiast born and raised in Texas. When he’s not taking
sessionable for the hotter summer months, but it is no-less crisp and
photos or at a show he’s probably busy
refreshing. Greenbelt is an interesting take on the wheat-wit-hefe-saison
planning his next road trip.
category but left us wishing for just a touch more fruit or citrus flavor to balance out the amount of spice in this beer. armadilloaleworks.com
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BARBECUE NATION
NEW YORK, NY Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque 103 2nd Ave
These grill masters get top marks from
New York, NY 10003
Tender. Juicy. Meat that falls right off the bone. If you’re salivating, then keep reading. We compiled a list of highly rated BBQ joints and even provided some napkin notes to whet your appetite.
One of the best BBQ restaurants I have been to in NYC! Jorge Munoz
Dinosaur BBQ 604 Union Street
(Yelp user reviews have been reprinted with permission from the author and Yelp.)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Blue Smoke BBQ 116 East 27th Street New York, NY 10016
Hill Country Barbecue Market 30 West 26th Street New York, NY 10010
PHILADELPHIA, PA Percy Street Barbecue 900 S St Philadelphia, PA 19147
NASHVILLE, TN Peg Leg Porker 903 Gleaves Street Nashville, TN 37203
I ordered the pulled pork platter with Mac n Cheese and Coleslaw - it was the perfect portion for one person and the food was delicious! The pork was flavorful and tender, and the macaroni was cheesy and creamy. Beth C.
LOS ANGELES, CA Bludso’s Bar-&-Que
Max City BBQ
609 N La Brea Avenue
4729 Eagle Rock Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Los Angeles, CA 90041
Brisket: Holy shit, was this tender and just mmmmm all over my plate. Lidiya Mezhiburskaya
Phillips Barbecue 2619 Crenshaw Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90016
It’s not fancy. It’s not complicated. But it’s real good. Lynne Swerhone
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Baby Blues BBQ -Venice 444 Lincoln Boulevard Venice, CA 90291
Wow! Loved the pulled pork and ribs. James Yen Wang
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 4505 Burgers & BBQ
YakiniQ BBQ
705 Divisadero Street
1640 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
San Francisco, CA 94115
My god, some of the best brisket that I’ve had in the Bay Area. Claire S.
The gal-bi boneless short rib was really tender and good. Zoe H.
Koz’s Kitchen
1665 Folsom Street
The Hungry Pig
1182 Market Street
2920 W Temple Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Pulled Beef Brisket combo with fries and seasonal veggies. This was probably my favorite dish. Jay B.
It’s a great deal, and you get a solid meal for your money. Adam Sampson
Cathead’s San Francisco, CA 94103
Tommy’s Joynt 1101 Geary Boulevard San Francisco, CA 94109
this page and opposite page: Blue Smoke bbq by Melissa Hom
AUSTIN, TX Lamberts Downtown Barbecue 401 W 2nd Street Austin, TX 78701
I get the boar ribs which taste like candy and the jalapeño brisket sandwich every time. Greg Weitzner
Rudy’s Country Store & Barbecue 11570 Research Boulevard Austin, TX 78759
The brisket was so good I had to slap your mama and take some home to mine. Alex L.
la Barbecue 902 E Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78702
Brisket and ribs are both AMAZING. You can’t go wrong with either. Or both. Jennifer He
Franklin Barbecue 900 E 11th Street Austin, TX 78702
The BEEF RIBS are the best item. Always sell out and not always available. Joe O.
John Mueller Meat Company 2500 E. 6th Street Austin, TX 78704
DRIFTWOOD, TX The Salt Lick 18300 FM 1826
WASHINGTON, D.C. LLANO, TX DCity Smokehouse
Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que
8 Florida Avenue NW
604 W Young Street
Washington, D.C. 20001
Llano, TX 78643
So after ordering the BIG BEEF (it’s a chopped beef sandwich) without the coleslaw and a side of Brussels sprouts... my hubby and I snagged a couple of seats to get down to business.
Omg. I’ve found the definition of BBQ. This place is amazing. The meat is unexplainably delicious and juicy and the flavor is just off the roof. Dj B.
OMG!!! It was LOVE at FIRST BITE!!! And then I realize... after my first hit... my very first hit... I’m addicted... hopelessly addicted...Terinee Bonds
Driftwood, TX 78619
HOUSTON, TX Stockyard Bar-B-Q
The Brisket House 5775 Woodway Houston, TX 77057
The jalapeño sausage was delicious. Alexi A.
Brook’s Family BBQ
Houston, TX 77057
3602 Scott Street
The Brisket was so tender, you could cut it with a fork … Janine Bostic-Smalls
Houston, TX 77004
500 Dallas Street Houston, TX 77002
GoodE Company
I scored Brook’s Family BBQ an 84 out 100. This is Reserve Grand Champion Texas BBQ with a little Funk.
Virgie’s Bar-b-que 5535 Gessner Drive Houston, TX 77041
2702 Main Street
Lockhart Smokehouse BBQ 400 West Davis Street Dallas, TX 75208
Sonny Bryan’s Smokehouse 302 North Market Street Dallas, TX 75202
Fargo’S Pit BBQ 720 North Texas Avenue Bryan, TX 77803
Sausage: Excellent. A pork link that was a cross between East Texas and Mexico. An East Texas spicy sausage seasoned with Chile powder. Texas BBQ Ranger
CHARLESTON, SC
Gatlin’s Barbecue
288 King Street
5109 Kirby Drive Houston, TX 77098
Pecan Lodge Dallas, TX 75226
6504 Westheimer Road
Otto’s Bar B Que & Hamburgers Downtown
DALLAS, TX
1221 W 19th Street Houston, TX 77008
Gatlin’s is worth the wait! Best BBQ joint in Houston that I’ve tried so far. Susan Duan, MD
Nick’s Bar-B-Q Charleston, SC 29401
My chef-y friend ordered the BBQ pork sandwich and he was very pleased! I managed to get one little bite of his sandwich before it disappeared. Jane R.
COLLIDE . 123
SAINT LOUIS, MO Pappy’s Smokehouse 3106 Olive Street Saint Louis, MO 63103
Be warned that portion sizes range from large to huge, so splitting something may be a good idea. Paige Niedringhaus
Sugarfire Smoke House 9200 Olive Boulevard Saint Louis, MO 63132
CHICAGO, IL Twin Anchors Restaurant & Tavern
HARTFORD, CT Bear’s Smokehouse
1655 N Sedgwick Street
89 Arch Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Hartford, CT 06103
I enjoyed a delicious, full slab of ribs with a tasting of all their BBQ sauces; my favorite was the Prohibition Era recipe. Dave Miglin
Went around lunch and got the two meat deal - burnt ends and the brisket. Both were outstanding. The brisket was so juicy and rich; the burnt ends were even better. Daniel Schwartz
Smoke Daddy’s 1804 West Division Street
I almost dare to say that the sides are the star of the show! Stacy Henning
Chicago, IL 60622
Honky Tonk’s BBQ
NOLA
Bogart’s Smokehouse
1800 South Racine Avenue
The Joint
1627 South 9th Street St. Louis, MO 63104
Andre’s Ribs 4701 South Kingshighway Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63104
Chicago, IL 60608
701 Mazant Street New Orleans, LA 70117
Lillie’s Q 1856 West North Avenue Chicago, IL 60622
Lem’s BBQ
PHOENIX, AZ
331 East 75th Street
PORTLAND, OR Podnah’s Pit Barbecue
This is an amazing local “joint” that is in the Bywater area, nestled in a residential area. The brisket is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Shane Simpson
Chicago, IL 60619
Smoque BBQ 3800 North Pulaski Road Chicago, IL 60641
Bobby Q 8501 N 27th Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85051
HONOLULU, HI
Hands down the most decadent, tender, fall of the bone, flavor packed ribs I’ve ever had. Kathryn Dao
325 NE Russell Street
Bob’s Bar-B-Que
4301 East University Drive
Portland, OR 97212
1366 Dillingham Boulevard
1625 NE Killingsworth Street Portland, OR 97211
Russell Street Bar-B-Que
Fire on the Mountain 1708 E Burnside Street Portland, OR 97214
Smokehouse 21 413 NW 21st Avenue Portland, OR 97209
Little Miss BBQ Phoenix, AZ 85034
Honolulu, HI 96817
HILO, HI
MILWAUKEE, WI
Kuhio Grille
Smoke Shack
111 E Puainako Street, Ste 106A
332 N Milwaukee Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Milwaukee, WI 53202
LOUISVILLE, KY Mark’s Feed Store 1514 Bardstown Road Louisville, KY 40205
Courtesy of Kuhio Grille
The pulled pork sandwich is my favorite at Mark’s Feed Store, accompanied by Mark’s signature mustard-based barbecue sauce, which has a bit of a kick to it. Emily Hagedorn
Smoketown USA 1153 Logan Street Louisville, KY 40204
The owner noticed I hadn’t ordered his signature side, the greens. He went to the kitchen and brought back an order. It was delicious, as was everything else. Adam Garcia
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Bootleg Bar-B-Q 9704 Bardstown Road Louisville, KY 40291
The baby back ribs are smoked so well, they need no sauce! Tanya Payne
River Road BBQ 3017 River Road Louisville, KY 40207
The BBQ was incredible, the potato salad smooth and creamy, the baked beans full of chunks of BBQ. Mark V.
Shane’s Rib Shack 2420-G Lime Kiln Lane Louisville, KY 40222
ATLANTA, GA Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt 264 Memorial Drive SE Atlanta, GA 30312
Mighty Quinn's barbecue by Giacomo Fortunado
They’re not lying when they say this is the best BBQ in Atlanta. Jeff H.
Smoke Ring 309 Nelson Street Atlanta, GA 30313
Def one the best briskets I’ve had — not too much fat, but not dry either. Cherry Liu
Heirloom Market 2243 Akers Mill Road Southeast Atlanta, GA 30339
The Greater Good Barbecue 4441 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342
Sweet Auburn 656 North Highland Avenue Northeast Atlanta, GA 30306
Pit Boss 856 Virginia Avenue Atlanta, GA 30354
Fox Bros. 1238 DeKalb Avenue Northeast Atlanta, GA 30307
Waikikie Hawaiian BBQ 2160 Briarcliff Road Northeast Atlanta, GA 30329
Community Q BBQ 1361 Clairmont Road Decatur, GA 30033
MEMPHIS, TN
Cozy Corner Restaurant
A & R Bar-B-QUE
Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous
745 N Parkway
Memphis, TN 38106
Memphis, TN 38105
Chopped Pork Sandwich — this was pretty clutch. An excellent texture, not mushy, and it had the nice, crunchy pieces of bark. Jeff Amering
52 S 2nd Street Memphis, TN 38103
Dry rub all the way. It’s wonderful! The seasoning is ‘oh my god’ delish. Mary Kate Allen-Mehryar
Central BBQ 147 E. Butler Avenue Memphis, TN 38103
PORK ribs! They are moist, tender, smoky, salty, and spicy! They give your lips a burnt kiss and make you beg for more. Keri Ferguson
Cozy Corner’s ribs were thick and meaty with a nice dark crust. The heavy dusting of coarse black pepper was actually reminiscent of central Texas-style ribs, and that’s quite a compliment coming from a native Texan. The Barbecue Fiend
1802 Elvis Presley Boulevard
Payne’s Bar-B-Que 1762 Lamar Avenue Memphis, TN 38114
GREAT! GREAT! GREAT! That is all I can say about the chopped pork sandwich! Adam H.
MOORESVILLE, NC
DETROIT, MI
Lancaster’s Bar-B-Que and Wings
Slows Bar Bq
515 Rinehardt Road
2138 Michigan Avenue
Mooresville, NC 28115
Detroit, MI 48216
LEXINGTON, NC Lexington BBQ 100 Smokehouse Lane Lexington, NC 27295
CHARLOTTE, NC
SALT LAKE CITY, UT R&R BBQ 307 W 600 S Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Midwood Smokehouse 1401 Central Avenue Charlotte, NC 28205
COLLIDE . 125
An Illustrated Guide to
Boston by Speedy Ortiz
Illustrations by Sadie Dupuis
Western to Eastern mass transplants, Speedy Ortiz headline a modern generation of grunge. Two full-length albums and three EP’s under their belt, the four-piece continue to champion the indie rock landscape with their fuzzy rhapsodies. Frontwoman Sadie Dupuis details five quintessential landmarks in the band’s home of Boston, MA.
1.
2.
4.
3. 1. MIT Tunnels, Cambridge, MA
A stint at MIT failed to instill enduring scientific expertise in me, but I did leave with an abiding hard-on for hacking—or at least MIT’s definition of hacking, which amounts to (often clandestine) roof and tunnel exploration. Most of the school’s buildings are connected by a series of traversable underground tunnels, and with a skilled hacker to guide you (or a hacker’s map, in a pinch), it’s fairly easy to scale some of the university’s buildings, even the iconic Great Dome. Bear in mind that this is teeeeechnically trespassing. If you’re a law-abider, check out the campus’ nearby List Visual Arts Center. Maybe wear a ski mask. You know, for that dangerous feeling.
2. Norumbega Tower, Weston, MA This nearly 40-foot stone tower, which is most often locked from its front entrance, commemorates a questionably existent Viking settlement alluded to on European maps of North America in the 16th century. Whoa! Whether or not a Norse city ever thrived in the Boston ‘burbs, it’s easy to feel like a Viking pillager when you climb into the Norumbega Tower from its back window. (I can’t stop promoting trespassing. Sorry,
5.
Mom and Dad.) From there, you can walk up the tower’s narrow spiral staircase, which is especially spooky at nighttime, and from the top you’ll gain a tranquil view of the Charles River.
3. Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, MA A beautifully preserved art house cinema that’s been in operation as a theatre since the ‘30s (although the building was built 30 years prior), The Coolidge plays a neato selection of contemporary films, hosts campy midnight showings on weekends, and curates series showcasing classics, documentaries, and more. They’ve got big screens in Art Deco-y rooms. They’ve got tiny screening rooms that barely seat more than a dozen. Plus, they serve beer. Isn’t it nice to watch a movie with beer?
4. Great Scott, Allston, MA Sometimes I joke that I moved back to Massachusetts four years ago so I could see more Pile and Grass is Green shows, and I doubt I’ve seen either band more often than at Great Scott. There are tons of rock venues in the Boston area, many with long legacies (T. T. the Bear’s, the Middle East, O’Brien’s, and newcomer The
Sinclair), not to mention the ever-transient cropping up of alternative venues and house spaces that serve the all-ages population. But in terms of sound, selection of bands booked, house music, and Cheers-y, local bar good vibes, Great Scott’s my favorite place to hang out and see a show. Especially if the show features Pile or Grass is Green. Don’t forget to snag a post-show rollup at nearby Egyptian joint Azama — open ‘til 2 a.m., which is a late-night Boston rarity.
5. Allston Diner, Allston, MA “The only thing you can do to help a band is tell ‘em where to get vegan breakfast on the way out of town,” said Chris Weingarten one time (on Twitter — God help me for citing Twitter). The Allston Diner is my go-to recommendation for helping those touring bands when I want them to stop drooling on my floor the day after their show. It’s equally good for those who want bacon with eggs as it is for those who want collard greens with tempeh. It’s also nice for drinking coffee and reading the Boston Compass’ show listings when I wake up ready to face the day at around 1 p.m.
Tour Riders Revealed ALLEN STONE NEKO CASE
Hospitality/Dressing Room Rider 2 (24) cases bottled water
DOGS
1 bottle tequila (Patron preferred) or gin
Any crewmember or venue employee who owns a dog is
(Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray preferred)
encouraged to bring your dog with you for the evening
1 case Corona or Guinness beer
to meet the band. We desperately miss our own dogs and
6 pack cider
would love the company of yours!
1 liter unflavored coconut water 6 pack Perrier or sparkling water 1 quarter tonic
THE DAVID MAYFIELD PARADE
8 cans red bull (Blue/Red/Reg) Assorted teas or Via teas
Dressing Room:
1 small container honey
There should be a private dressing room.
2 large lemons
The girls have changed in alleys behind the
2 limes
venue before, and we prefer to keep the crowd
1 pkg pistachios
inside. There should be a chair in the dress-
1 large, ripe avocado
ing room for Mr. Mayfield only. NO ONE is to
1 bag kale chips
sit in this chair without his explicit permis-
1 small box aged cheddar cheeses or other fine cheese
sion. After Mr. Mayfield has left the build-
1 box Triscuit crackers
ing, the chair is to be destroyed. This must be recorded
6 assorted Clif bars
on VHS tape and sent to New Frontier Touring for confir-
6 assorted Naked or Odwalla or other premium juices
mation of compliance.
1 bag whole wheat or multigrain sliced bread
FOH Sound:
1 small jar peanut butter
The band requires a front of house sound person. We
1 small jar grape, raspberry or strawberry jam
prefer a very old man, completely covered in tattoos who
Assorted condiments for sandwiches (Mayo, Mustard, etc)
can and will eat anything.
.5 lb oven roasted turkey or oven roasted chicken
Accommodations:
2 packages minty gum (eclipse, orbit, 5, etc.)
When possible, we love to sleep in two decent hotel
2-4 STAMPED or postage paid local touristy postcards
rooms with two double beds, or a suite with two double
1 pkg large white crew socks
beds and a fold out sofa. Just so long as there is room for 5 people to sleep. But any more than two rooms and we begin to miss each other too much!
TASTE CASE THE ULTIMATE RIDER HACK photo courtesty of Allen Stone “The last tour my organ player brought out an invention he made called the Taste Case. He moded out a traveling road case into a mobile kitchen. Equipped with oven, stove top, etc. I used my rider in a lot of cities for fresh ingredients for him to cook with. It was mad cool. This is the taste case and a couple of its creations from this last tour [Radius tour]. The top comes off to make a table and the front opens up for all of your cooking and dining desires!”
—ALLEN STONE
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